Devil With A Blue Dress On
by Space Chick
Summary: Randy Maxwell is only sixteen years old, but she already has that blantent sexuality that men find attractive. And nineteen year old Miles Barton is very attracted to the raven haired daughter of Death. But how can he get to her when her father stands in
1. This Is A Date, Huh?

Devil With A Blue Dress On

_Disclaimer: I don't own them!_

_ _

Devil With A Blue Dress On 

"Mom, why are you making me do this?" Randy whined as she stood on the stool in the middle of the kitchen. 

Hilde looked up at her sixteen-year old daughter with pins in her mouth. She took them out. "Because you purposely shortened the skirt of your school uniform and made Headmistress Conner have an apoplexy," she said as she propped her hands on her hips. "Now stand still or else I might stick you with a pin in you know where!"

Randy crossed her arms belligerently across her chest. "But that skirt was ugly. The length was all wrong," she muttered as she tapped her bare foot on the stool. "So I made it two inches above my knees. The skirts the girls' field hockey team wears are just as short. So all I did was take the skirt up a few inches!"

The pins were slapped on the floor. "Miranda! You took the calf length skirt and made it half the length!" Hilde exclaimed exasperatedly."God, what am I going to do with you? You disregard the rules like your father and your brothers!"  
  


"Come on Randy, its not like you have to spend your entire day wearing the skirt," Chris pointed out from the kitchen chair. Victoria was sitting on his lap. His left arm was in a sling, courtesy of Heero. 

"And it makes you look more lady like Randy," said Victoria as she leaned on Chris's right shoulder. 

"Drop dead," Randy snapped as she pinned a glare at her brother and his girlfriend. 

"Speaking of your father, where is he?" said Hilde as she sat back on her heels. 

"Here," said Duo as he came into the kitchen. He bent down and pressed a sound kiss on Hilde's lips. He looked up at his daughter and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Any reason for that indignant expression sweetheart?" he asked as he leaned against the wall. 

"Mom's making me get fitted for the skirt from hell that's what," Randy replied as she glared at her mother. 

Duo chuckled. 

"That's not funny Duo," Hilde admonished as she started pinning the hem. She raised a brow at him. "We pay good money to send her to Saint Augustines. We paid money to send her brothers too," she said to him. 

"Headmistress Conner just wants all the Maxwells out of school and out of her hair," Chris pointed out as he reached over for a potato chip. 

"Because she's seen you, your brothers, and you young lady in her office," Hilde said as she looked up at her daughter. 

Randy snorted. "I didn't do anything wrong! All I did was shorten the dog ugly skirt!" she protested. 

"Well try not to get sent there this year ok," said Duo as he laughed again. 

Just then Miles and Jonathon came into the kitchen. "Hey mom, I'm home," Jonathon called out as he snatched an apple from the basket on the center island. He looked over at his sister. "Did the kitchen get changed into a fitting room?"

"Go to hell," Randy snapped at her brother. She looked over at Miles. "I want a guys honest opinion. Do you like it like this?" she asked pointing to the calf length. "Or like this?" she asked as she tugged the skirt out of her mother's fingers and hiked it up about two inches above her knees. 

Miles looked at her slender legs and then back up at her face. "Well if I said I liked it short, your father who is probably standing in this very room would kill me, and I like life. So, its better long," he said hastily as he looked over his shoulder at Duo. 

"Good answer," Duo said warningly as he crossed his arms. 

"Chicken," Randy muttered under her breath. "Are you almost finished mom?" she asked as she looked down. 

"Yes, we're done. Just please don't shorten it again Randy," Hilde ordered. 

"Yeah, yeah," Randy said as she unzipped the skirt in the back, letting it fall down around her ankles. She smoothed her hands over her faded cutoffs that she had been wearing under the skirt. "Where's Carin?" she asked Miles as she hopped off the stool. 

"Dad grounded her for teaching Isabella how to drive," Miles replied as he leaned against the counter. 

"She got grounded for that! Chris just got yelled at by mom and dad for teaching me at twelve," Randy said as she slipped trail runners on. "We were supposed to go to the beach today and just hang out."

"Miles can take you," Chris said slyly. "I'm sure that he wouldn't mind, would you Miles?" he asked with a raised brow.

"I guess, I wouldn't mind," Miles said slowly as he glanced over at Duo. "If that's ok with you of course?" he asked Duo. 

Duo looked at him for a moment, considering it. _"Do I let my sixteen year old out with a nineteen year old? Do I trust him? **No, not really. He's already scared half to death of you. I say let him. ****Good point." **_"That's fine. Have her home no later then ten," he said in a warning tone. 

Randy smiled. "Good, let's go," she said as she grabbed onto his arm and pulled him out of the kitchen. 

"Hold it," Duo said as he pulled Miles back into the kitchen. He looked Miles straight in the eye. "You do anything more then hold her hand or innocent touching, I will break your legs. I will make what Heero did to my son seem like nothing. Got that," he said in a low voice. 

Miles nodded. "Got it," he replied as he swallowed nervously. 

"Go on, she's probably waiting for you," Duo said as he let him go. He watched him leave the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder at the now silent kitchen. "What? Was that not harsh enough?"

"Duo, you threatened to break every bone in his body!" Hilde said as she got up off the kitchen floor. She went over and poked him in the chest. 

"Yeah see what Heero did to me," Chris said as he nodded to his arm in the sling. 

"My dad didn't break it. Be thankful he only dislocated it," Victoria said as she kissed his forehead. 

"Yeah, he since he only caught me in bed with you," Chris said with a wry smile. 

Duo looked down at his wife. "All I did was put the fear of Death into him."

"You're not supposed to be that harsh," Hilde said as she looked up at him. 

"He's nineteen years old. I know what he's thinking. I was that age once," Duo explained.

"And what was that?" Hilde asked as she poked him in the chest again. 

A slow smile crossed his face. "The same thing I'm doing now," he said as he threaded his fingers through her hair and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. 

Jonathon, Chris, and Victoria rolled their eyes. "Get a room!" they yelled. 

******************************************************************************

Miles ran his finger under the collar of his dark gold shirt as he walked out the front steps of the Maxwell's home. He looked at Randy leaning over, putting her bag in his convertible. _"Does death have any meaning to you whatsoever! **Yeah. Then I would advise you to stop looking." His green eyes fell away from her slender thighs. He could see what the back of her white tee shirt said. It was the same one his sister had. It was the girls soccer team's signature phrase, ****Just Suck It Up Baby! He chuckled at it. **_

Randy turned her head to look at Miles. "What?" she asked as she leaned against the car.

"Nothing. Just the saying on your shirt," he replied as he went over to her and opened the car door for her. 

She slid in and looked up at him. "Oh the phrase, that was my idea. I had to promise Headmistress Conner not to strip off my shirt again and run around the field in a sports bra like when the team won the championships last year," she answered with a trademark Maxwell grin. 

Miles climbed in next to her. He glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. She had her head back on the seat with her eyes closed. _"Why did I have to go for the girl that's the hardest to attain? **Because you can't help who you're attracted to. She's sixteen. You're nineteen. ****And point being? Anything you would think of doing with her is considered illegal. And if her dad found out anything, he would kill you. ****That's true. But she still is something else. How can I not be attracted to her when she looks like a Victoria's Secret model." He smiled at that thought as he drove down the curving driveway on their way to the beach. **_

Randy looked over at Miles. She smiled. She had seen his pale face when he came out of the house. **_"Leave it to dad to put the fear of Death in him. __That's what he's supposed to do. He's a father and you're his only daughter and the baby. _****That's true, but I'm hardly a little girl anymore. I got his to hell with it personality. Yeah, and you also got your mother's looks. That would make him worry. ****My brothers and I are evidence of that fact. Dad still can't keep his hands off mom and they've been married for almost twenty years." She glanced over at Miles again. His russet hair blew in the wind and his sunglasses were perched on his nose. He was handsome, sexy, and smart. Exactly what she wanted. And what she wanted, she usually got too. **

They finally arrived at the beach. He hopped out and ran to the other side to open the door for her. He grasped her hand in his and helped her out. He gave her a bow and a smile. 

She laughed softly. "Thank you Miles, you're quite the gentlemen," she said as she looked up at him. He was about the same height as her dad, but she wasn't short either. She stood at five foot eight and a half. Taller then her mother and all the other the other women she knew. She breathed in the sea air. "Nothing like the smell of the water to make you feel like running in and taking a swim," she said as she closed her eyes. She opened them again and looked up at Miles. "Don't you think so?"

Miles looked down into her cobalt eyes. He saw the flirtatiousness flicker in them. "Sure if the weather is hot enough," he replied softly as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. He stared into her eyes as he did it. 

Randy felt her skin tingle a little from the contact. She knew exactly what he meant by the comment. She had brothers. She grinned up at him. "I can see that you do," she said as she gave his hand a slight squeeze. She let go of his hand and leaned against the car. She pulled off her trail runners and dropped them inside the car. She walked out into the hot sand. "Well are you going to come or just stand there?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder at him. 

He tugged off his boat shoes and dropped them inside his car as well. He followed her out onto the sand. He watched the enticing swing of her hips as she walked. _"You're staring!** I know, I know. Remember what Duo said. He would break your legs if you did anything more then holding her hand or innocent touching. Keep that in mind while you ogle her. ****Yeah I know." He sighed and went over to the spot that she picked. It was up against the stone wall. She was already spreading a blanket down on the sand. **_

She looked over at him. She knew that he was staring at her. She brushed back a few strands of her midnight hair out of her face. And with every intent on driving him insane, she pulled her shirt over her head to reveal a black bikini. Her shorts followed to reveal the high cut bottoms that went with it. "I'll be down at the water," she said as she walked away, smiling broadly to herself at his open-mouthed expression. 

Miles pushed his chin back up. His mouth was dry from seeing her strip down to practically nothing right in front of him. _"Her dad would be justified in killing you right now. **I know!" He had seen her in a bikini before, she wore them frequently, but this one was a lot skimpier then her other two she had. He ran his hand over her face. "Man, this is going to be a long day," he muttered as he sat down on the blanket. He leaned back against the stone wall and looked in the direction that she had gone in. **___**__**

**_ _**

Randy walked out of the water. She was very aware of the looks that she received from the men, but she knew how to take care of an overzealous male. Her brothers and her father had made sure of that. She was good at hand to hand combat and under her father's guidance, she could almost shoot a gun as well him.She looked over at Miles. He appeared to be sleeping, but she couldn't really tell when those gorgeous green eyes of his were hiding behind his sunglasses. She walked up the sand, wringing her hair out the entire way back to the blanket. She picked up her towel and began to dry off. "Hey, are you asleep?" she asked as she nudged his foot with hers. 

"No," he replied as he tipped his sunglasses down to look at her. He could see the water sliding down her neck, between her breasts, over her toned stomach. _"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" _

She noted that he pushed the sunglasses back up his nose to hide his eyes again. She smiled and picked up her shirt pulling it on over her bikini. She sat down and leaned against the wall next to him. She reached in her bag and pulled out her sunglasses and a book. She leaned against his shoulder as she started reading.

Miles felt the pressure on his shoulder and he turned to look at her. He could no longer see her eyes and a book perched between her fingers. "What are you reading?" he asked.

Randy let her sunglasses slide down her nose so he could see her eyes. "War and Peace. It's a novel from the nineteenth century," she replied, showing him the cover.

His mouth dropped open. "You're reading a book like that!" he exclaimed. He was surprised that she would read something that old and that long. 

"So, I need to keep my mind satisfied with something interesting. Those romance novels that your sister hordes are entertaining, but I need something a little more then that," she said as she pushed her sunglasses back up. 

Miles blinked once. He knew that she was smart, very smart. If she could maneuver her way through a security system that Heero Yuy set up, she was damn near genius. He sighed and rolled his head against the stones.

Randy smiled to herself and went back to reading her book. 

Hours seemed to have passed when Miles opened his eyes. The sun could barely be seen anymore on the horizon. The beach was deserted now, except for a few people walking along the waterline. He pushed up his glasses and glanced at Randy and only saw her legs. He looked up. She was sitting on the stonewall, with her sunglasses pushed up, looking out over the water. "Hey," he said as he tugged on her bare foot.

"Oh, you're awake," she said as she looked down at him. "You've been asleep for quite awhile," she said as she hopped down off the stonewall. 

"Sorry," Miles replied as he looked over at her. He stretched his arms over his head. "So how far did you get in your book?" he asked as his hands dropped to his sides. 

"Oh, about a quarter of the way. I read pretty fast," Randy, said matter of factly as she poked him in the ribs. "It's about six. Want to get something to eat?" she asked as she turned to look at him.

He could see the brilliance of her eyes, even in the semidarkness. "Yeah, I guess I wouldn't mind getting something," he said as he rubbed his stomach. I am a little hungry," he admitted. 

"Then lets go," she said as she grasped his hand and tugged him upright. She put her book back in her bag. She slung it over her shoulder and stepped off the blanket, dusting off her shorts and her shirt. She propped her hand on her shapely hip. "Come on Miles," she said as she wrinkled her nose at him. 

_"Man, she's cute when she does that." He got off the blanket and picked it up, shaking it free of any sand particles. He felt her hand slip into his again and pull him along to his car. _

She dropped her stuff in the backseat and hopped over the door. She smiled up at him. "I may be a girl, but I like to be spontaneous," she said as she rested her chin on top of her hands as she looked up at him. 

Miles grinned back at her and walked over to the other side. "Where do you want to get food?" he asked as he started up the car. 

"Someplace good," Randy replied as she tugged on her shoes. "And don't worry about paying for me, I got my own money."

"Nope. I'll pay. I've always paid the way, even if the woman insisted. I treat all my dates to that courtesy," he said as he drove down the narrow streets.

"Oh this is a date, is it?" she asked, arching her brows up at him. "Did my dad lay down the rules for that or did he just threaten you by saying he would break your legs?" she asked impishly. 

"Well…I mean…this is sort of a date. And your dad threatened to break my legs," Miles replied as he pulled in front of a small take out diner. He jumped out and ran over to the other side to help her. 

Randy smiled as he grasped her hand and pulled her out. She held his hand as they went inside. She looked back out at the deep blue evening sky. "Miles, why don't we get takeout and go back to the beach," she said impulsively. 

He gazed at her and shrugged. "Sure, if you want," he replied as he picked up the menu and flipped through it. 

Once their order was ready, they went back to the beach and ate it on the stonewall. She hopped down, still sipping her large vanilla milkshake. She walked down to the water's edge, feeling the cold-water lap at her toes. She turned her head and looked at Miles. "Want to walk a little?" she called back to him. 

Miles threw the trash in the receptacle. He had already finished his cream soda. He walked down to the water where she was. She was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. **_"Two words for you. _**_What? **Jailbait!" **He pushed that thought aside. "I wouldn't mind I guess," he said as he began to walk beside her. It was silent between them at first. The only sound was the water splashing about their ankles. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. "Can I ask you something?"_

"What?" Randy replied as she glanced over at him. 

"Why does your dad in particular, get all bent out of shape when you go out with a guy?" he asked as he looked up at the full moon that was gracing the sky. 

She took a deep breath. "That's a long story, but it's easy to tell I suppose. Up front, I'm his only daughter and the baby. That would make him a little crazy. Another thing is, I look a lot like my mom. She's still a beautiful woman. And he can't help but look at me and see my mother, except for the eyes of course. He also knows what guys are thinking when they look at me. I mean, Chris was born when my mother was only twenty. That's young. And I know he was with women before my mother when he was fifteen and sixteen. That's the other thing," she said as she stopped and curled her toes in the sand. 

"That seems reasonable," Miles, answered as he stopped to look at her. "But it seems weird that my dad doesn't get all uptight when Carin dates," he mused.

"Look at the guys she dates. She attracts a whole different set of guys then I do. I get all the hell raisers, while she gets the ones with the angels wings," Randy laughed. "I think its also because of that nickname Dominic crowned me with a few years ago too."

"And what's that?" he asked as he traced his foot in the sand. 

"He called me Death's Handmaiden, although I couldn't really tell you why he gave me that. But it seems to attract all the bad boys in school to me when they hear it. Its probably a guy thing," she said as she started walking again. "And if you think about it, my mom said that my dad was more or less a bad boy. I must be only be able to attract those kinds."

Miles laughed as he walked beside her. "I could see how true that is! But it's funny that your dad would become the complete opposite when you got to the age when you could date."

"Did you ever hear about my first date?" she asked as she sipped her milkshake.

"No, what happened?" he asked curiously. 

"Well it was to one of those formal dances that the school gives and I was asked to go by a guy named Bobby Arquette. His father is one of the representatives for the ESUN. That night I wore a dress that had belonged to my mother. I had always loved that dress. It was a magenta slip dress with black satin piping. There's a picture of her wearing it on her vanity. My dad's kissing her silly in too," she laughed again. "Well anyway this dress had a diagonal hemline. One side was mid calf length while the other side went as high as my mid thigh. The back went just below the middle of my back and the neckline came to the middle of my breastbone. When I came down the steps wearing it, my dad's mouth fell open in shock. Bobby was already there with a bouquet of white roses. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head."

Miles laughed as he imagined her father's expression. He also felt a twinge of jealousy for the guy that took her. 

"My dad looked like he wanted to kill Bobby for even looking at me. My mom luckily calmed him down enough for us to go. He drove a vintage corvette with the top down. The dance was nice, but the real kicker was just about to come. When he drove me home, it was about eleven thirty. The house was all dark when we pulled up. He had his arm resting behind me. I thanked him for a wonderful evening and he asked for a kiss. I wasn't shocked. He was a nice guy, but I didn't like him that much to kiss him. I told him to kiss my cheek and just about he was to do so, I heard a very loud, very audible click and my dad's voice."

"What did he say?" Miles asked, only imaging what he would say. 

"Dad said this, "Kiss her and regret it." I swear Bobby's face went white. My dad came out of the shadows of the porch with his shotgun. I couldn't help but start laughing at the entire thing. It was so funny watching Bobby's face get whiter by the second as my dad stepped off the porch. He let me out of the car. I said goodnight to Bobby outside of the car with my dad pointing a shot gun at him," she broke into laughter again. "And since then, I haven't really dated all that much because Bobby told all the guys at school what happened."

He laughed out loud at the story. "Man, your father sounds more dangerous then Heero when it come to daughters."

"Well you saw what Heero did to Chris. He dislocated his shoulder. He was very, very lucky," Randy said as she looked out at the water. "My dad is just being overprotective."

"And downright maniacal," Miles said as he pushed up a pile of sand with his foot. 

"That's probably very true too. I guess he wasn't called the God of Death for nothing," she replied as she walked a little ways into the water and let it lap around her ankles. 

He looked at her with the moon shining down on them. She looked like an angel, but she was really an imp. The light reflected in her hair, making it gleam softy and gave her pale skin an ethereal glow. **_"Jailbait! _**_I know that! **Do you really? **Yes, or else I would be kissing her senseless right now." _

_ _

They walked back from the water and sat on the beach in silence. Randy observed him out of the corner of her eye. His facial features clearly belonged to his father, except his smile. His smile was his mother's. She loved his eyes. They were mysterious and so easy to get lost in. And he had a body that she wouldn't mind putting her hands on. **_"You've been hanging around your brothers too much. _**_What's that supposed to mean? **Those salacious little thoughts that run through your head when you look at Miles. **So. ****So, you shouldn't. I can do whatever the hell I want. I don't need you telling me what to think. So shut up and go away!" _

_ _

Miles watched her too. He knew that she liked him. And she knew that he liked her. Her father was a problem. Duo. Big problem. He sighed and stretched out his legs in front of him. He glanced at his watch. "Holy shit! It's eleven, your dad told me ten!" he almost shouted. "Come on, I have to get you home," he said as he grasped her wrist and pulled her up. He started running but he didn't let go of her hand. "I'm dead. I know it," he said under his breath as they approached his car. 

******************************************************************************

Duo paced back and forth, staring at the clock on the bedside table in the master bedroom. 

"Duo, please stop, you're going to wear the carpet down in that spot if you keep that up," Hilde said exasperatedly as she turned off the bathroom light and came into the room. 

He stopped momentarily. "It's eleven. I told Miles ten," he snapped as he started pacing again.

"Stop it!" she exclaimed as she got in his path, making him come to a halt. "You're being irrational. Randy probably forgot the time.Her and Miles always talk a lot. They probably lost track of time."

"Lost track of time my ass," Duo growled as he tried to walk around her, but she kept on stepping in his way. "You know what I was doing at his age at this time of night," he said as he looked at Hilde. 

"I know Duo. I was there remember," Hilde replied with more exasperation. "But she's sixteen. He wouldn't do anything."

"Right and I mastered Wing Zero," he snorted sarcastically. 

She shoved her hair up in frustration. "Good Lord Duo, calm down!"

Duo narrowed his eyes on his wife's face, but said nothing. 

Hilde pursed her lips and propped her hands on her hips. A thought came into her head. She smiled up at him. "Come on baby, look at me," she said as she trailed her hand up his arm. If she couldn't talk him out of this mood, she would seduce him out of it. She trailed her nails along his the back of his neck. "Please Duo," she said as she stood on tiptoe and kissed his chin. 

His eyes went back to her, taking in the satin nightshirt, the color of old pearls. He felt the tingles running down his spine as her nails raked over his skin. He closed his eyes as she kissed his chin. He could feel her warm little body pressing against his. His arms slipped around her waist automatically. "Babe," he said.

"Hmm," she replied impishly as she looked up at him. She could see the flicker of desire in his eyes. 

Duo leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers. He could never resist her. Ever. 

Hilde smiled, glad that her ploy had worked. She wrapped her arms about his neck as he carried her over to the bed. He leaned over her as they continued their heated kiss. 

******************************************************************************

Miles drove up the driveway, his heart pounding with some fear. He knew what Duo could do to him. He gulped and looked over at Randy. She was smiling softly as the wind blew threw her hair. "Your home," he said quietly as his eyes scanned the porch. His eyes fell on light from the upstairs window. But he couldn't see anyone. He let out a small sigh of relief. "I had a nice time Randy," he said as he turned and looked at her. 

"I had a nice day too," Randy said as she returned his smile. "But you know what would make it better?" she asked as she looked into his eyes. 

"What?" he asked as he blinked to keep himself from getting lost in her eyes. 

"If you kissed me," she announced boldly. 

"If I what! Your father would kill me!" Miles exclaimed as he moved away from her. 

"Well what he doesn't know won't hurt him," Randy pointed out. 

He shook his head. "That may be true, but…"

"Miles, shut up!" she said as she leaned forwards and pressed her lips against his. She moved her lips softly against his before pulling away. "Good night Miles," she said as she got out of the car and walked up the steps of the porch and slowly and quietly slipped inside. 

Miles stared after her. His lips were tingling from the contact with hers. She had kissed him. He ran his tongue over his lips, tasting the hint of vanilla from her milkshake on them. _"Or maybe that's just her. Sweet and innocent. **Better keep it that way!" **He shook his head and a wide grin crossed his lips. "Hope that's not the last time," he said as he turned around and sped down the driveway. _

******************************************************************************

Duo's head popped up when he heard a car door slam. "She's home," he said as he got off the bed and went to look out the window. He could see the taillights of Miles's convertible going down the driveway.

Hilde sighed and raised herself off of her elbows. Her nightshirt was half unbuttoned. "Dammit," she muttered under her breath. "Come away from the window," she said as she rolled to her stomach, looking at her husband. 

He heard the front door open and close. And the soft sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs. He glanced at his wife and then back at the closed bedroom door. He went for the door. He opened it to see Randy sneaking down the hall. "Hold it right there young lady," she said as he walked out in to the hall. 

_"Shit!" "Hi dad, sorry I'm late. Good night now," she said as she tried to walk off, only to be brought up short by his hand grasping her wrist. _

"Where were you?" Duo asked as he looked at his daughter. "You know what time it is?"

"Yeah, I know. It's after eleven. We were still on the beach, talking. We lost track of time, honest," she said as she gave him a sweet smile and crossed her fingers behind her back. She took in her father's dress. His shirt was unbuttoned and his hair was mused. She raised a brow. "And what were you doing dad?"

"None of your business. Don't try to change the subject Randy," Duo said sternly. "You talked for all this time?" 

"Well sort of. We sat on the beach. I went swimming, while he sat on the towel. I read and he slept. Then he took me out to dinner and we ate it on the beach and took a walk. All innocent dad," she said as she pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Now go back to bed dad, I'm sure mom wants you back there," she said knowingly as she gave him a brief hug and went down the hall to her room. 

Duo stood there. "Dammit! She got out of telling me what I wanted to know! What is it with the women in this house, always getting their way!" he muttered as he watched her door close. He looked over his shoulder at his room. Hilde was probably annoyed now that he left her. He chuckled. "Well let's just see if I can change that," he said as he sauntered back to his room and to soothe the feathers of his ruffled wife.

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Randy plopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She smiled broadly. "Thank you Miles for that wonderful kiss," she whispered. "And I hope I get the opportunity to kiss you again too," she said as she laughed to herself and started getting ready for bed. 

Author's Note: How did you like the first part! There will be more to come soon, so stay tuned for more upset Duo, devilish Randy, and a not so innocent Miles!

**_ _**


	2. Addicted

Disclaimer: I don't own them

_Disclaimer: I don't own them!_

**Song by Robert Palmer**_ _

_ _

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 2

**_ _**

Randy looked disgusted as she stood in the basement. "And dad wants me to clean this dump?" she muttered under her breath as she looked around her. Her nose wrinkled and she slapped her hand against the nearest wall. "DAMMIT DAD I PROMISE TO BE GOOD! JUST DON'T MAKE ME CLEAN THIS!" 

Duo heard his daughter yelling at the top of her lungs. He chuckled and went down into the basement. He leaned around the corner. She looked like she wanted to throw something. "Sorry sweetheart, but you're not getting out of this," he said with a grin. 

She glared at her father, but then smiled angelically. "Please daddy," she said sweetly as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Pretty please with sugar on top."

He looked at her face turned up at him. She was so like her mother. He had absolutely no control over the women in his family. They had him twisted about their pretty little fingers. And he hated turning her down. She was his baby. His little girl. Hilde was right; he had spoiled Randy to no end. "No Randy, you're not getting out of this," he said as he chucked her under her chin. "But I won't make you do the attic, all right"

Randy made a face. "Fine," she grumbled as she crossed her arms. "But this is…" she gestured around her. 

"It's a mess. I know, but I know you'll do a good job," Duo said as he kissed her forehead before going back upstairs.

She grumbled several more choice phrases in German, before rolling up her sleeves and getting to work. 

Several Hours Later 

"I hate this, I am never going to be bad again," Randy muttered as she pushed the last box into place. She sneezed as the dust swirled around her. She observed the now, fairly organized, if not clean basement. "Pretty good if I do say so myself," she said as she propped her hands on her hips. 

******************************************************************************

On the main level, Miles and Jonathon were discussing sports, when Duo came in. His eyes fell on the oldest Barton. He felt his blood pressure rise. _"Down Maxwell. Keep that temper of yours in check. **Why should I? **Because you don't need Hilde getting all bent out of shape and making you sleep on the couch, which is not that comfortable by the way. **Good point." **_"Miles, Jonathon," he said as normally as possible as he passed through to the garage. But he couldn't help but think of several ways of getting rid of Miles. All of them painful. He chuckled as he closed the door behind him.

Miles looked after him wide eyed. "For a minute there I thought your dad was going to kill me, I brought Randy home late the other night," he said to Jonathon. 

"Really?" Jonathon drawled. "And why were you late bringing her home?"

"We were talking for a long time and lost track of the time," Miles replied as he looked back at his iced tea. 

"You talked! With a girl! I'm in shock!" Jonathon said as he rolled his eyes dramatically. 

"Shut up, she's your sister," Miles answered as he glared at the other young man. 

"I know she's my sister. That's why you only talked. If she had been anyone else, you would have been doing what Chris and Victoria are doing when they think no one can hear them," Jonathon pointed out with an evil grin. 

"Oh like you're one to talk Casanova!" Miles hissed. "And do you have to air the fact that I've dated a lot of girls and slept with some of them! That's the reason why your father looks like he wants to kill me when I so much as look at Randy!"

"Well I'm also not going after anyone's sister either. If you noticed how unattainable any of the girls that we're close to are? Chris dared to do it and got a dislocated shoulder out of it. In your case, I would say that you have one chance in a million in attaining my sister. Of course, you better not think of my sister like any one of those other girls," Jonathon said as he narrowed his cobalt eyes at Miles. 

Miles saw the warning in them too. He sighed. "No, I don't think of your sister like that."

Just then the basement door swung open, revealing a very dirty looking Randy. 

"Brat, you look like you rolled around in a dust bin," Jonathon laughed as he looked at her. 

Randy shot him the finger. "Remind me never to be bad again," she said. Her eyes fell on Miles. "Miles," she said as she smiled at him. 

"Randy," Miles returned. She looked sexy as hell with her clothes smudged with dust and dirt, her hair hidden under a baseball cap, that she was wearing backwards, and a smile that could make the most stoic heartbeat race. "Cleaning I take it," he said as he noticed the feather duster stuck in the back pocket of her cutoffs like a tail feather. 

"I have to. It's my punishment because I was the one who set up my brother and Victoria. And Chris got hurt in the whole process," she said as she shrugged. "So if you two wouldn't mind, I need to clean the kitchen." 

"As the brat wishes," Jonathon smirked as he tugged on her hair on his way up to the back stairs. 

Miles followed. "Later Randy," he said as he gave her a smile and followed her brother. 

Randy's eyes followed him. _"Bad girl. **Who? Me? **Yes, you! You kissed him. **So? It was one tiny little kiss on the lips. Harmless. **Not in your father's eyes. **Get a grip! What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Now go away!" **_She sighed as she surveyed her new task. "Man I hate cleaning," she mumbled as she got out the mop to clean the floor. She switched on the stereo in the family room, blasting the music. 

Miles could hear the music blasting downstairs. He grinned to himself. "I'll be back to get another glass of iced tea," he said to Jonathon as he sidled out of the room. 

Jonathon chuckled to himself as he flipped through the Victoria's Secret catalogue that he had snitched from his sister. "That guy has got it bad," he said as he flipped another page. 

Miles made his way down the back stairs and sat on the steps, watching Randy sing and dance as she cleaned. 

Randy picked up the remote and turned up the volume on the song that was beginning to play. She started to sing along with it. __

_ _

_You're lights are on, but you're not home_

_Your mind is not your own_

_Your heart sweats, your body shakes_

_Another kiss is what it takes _

_ _

_You can't sleep, you can't eat_

_There's not doubt, you're in deep_

_Your throat is tight, you can't breathe_

_Another kiss is all you need_

_ _

_Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah_

_Its closer to the truth to say you can't get enough_

_You know you're going to have to face it, you're addicted to love_

_ _

Randy used the mop as a microphone as she dropped to her knees and belted out the next verse. 

Miles watched, fascinated by her husky voice and her lithe body staying in time to the music. 

_ _

You see the signs, but you can't read 

_You're runnin' at a different speed_

_Your heart beats in double time_

_Another kiss and you'll be mine, a one-track mind_

_ _

_You can't be saved_

_Oblivion is all you crave_

_If there's some left for you_

_You don't mind if you do_

_ _

_Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah_

_Its closer to the truth to say you can't get enough_

_You know you're going to have to face it, you're addicted to love_

_ _

Duo came in from the garage to see his daughter singing her heart out. He grinned and watched her performance. 

Miles grinned. He was addicted already. That one little kiss of hers had him. 

_ _

Might as well face it, you're addicted to love 

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love_

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love _

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love _

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love _

Randy was very unaware that she had an audience so she kept on singing. She knew that her kiss had to affect Miles in some way. She knew that another kiss would get him right where she wanted him. Despite what her father said. 

_ _

_You're lights are on, but you're not home_

_Your will is not your own_

_Your heart sweats, your teeth grind_

_Another kiss and you'll be mine_

_ _

_Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah_

_Its closer to the truth to say you can't get enough_

_You know you're going to have to face it, you're addicted to love_

_ _

Might as well face it, you're addicted to love 

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love_

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love _

_Might as well face it, you're addicted to love _

Might as well face it, you're addicted to love 

_ _

Duo noticed that he wasn't the only audience his daughter had. His eyes fell on Miles, who was staring at Randy. His eyes narrowed as he saw the grin on the young man's face. 

Randy opened her eyes and saw her father standing in the doorway. But he wasn't looking at her. He was looking behind her. She turned her head. 

Miles saw her turn to look at him. He raised his eyes and saw Duo looking at him with an expression that could be described as murderous. He gulped. "Sorry," he mumbled and nearly tripped over his feet, running back up the steps. 

Randy turned back to look at her father. "That look wasn't necessary."

Duo's eyes fell on his daughter. Her lips were pursed. Another Hilde look she inherited and used when she was exasperated. "I think it was very necessary," he said as he turned and went back to the garage. 

Randy rolled her eyes. "So darn overprotective," she muttered as she finished her cleaning without the stereo blasting. 

******************************************************************************

Miles pressed his back against the door in Jonathon's room. He closed his eyes and thanking God that he was still living. 

Jonathon glanced up. "My dad caught you looking at Randy, didn't he?" he asked as his eyes went back to the catalogue. 

"Yeah," Miles breathed as he slid down to the floor. 

"You're never going to get her. I don't think any guy is going to get my sister. They're all too afraid of dad to go near her," Jonathon said knowingly. 

Miles looked up. "Well I won't back off either. As much as I'm terrified of your dad, it won't stop me," he said with determination. 

"That's good to hear. So what are you going to do when my dad actually tries killing you instead of threatening you," Jonathon pointed out. 

"Haven't thought of that yet," Miles said. "But I will."

Randy looked at the gleaming kitchen floor. "That better stay clean," she said as she put the mop away. She took a deep breath and yawned. She was a little tired. She walked up the steps to her room. 

******************************************************************************

Miles heard the lighter footsteps of Randy's coming up the steps. He looked over at Jonathon. He was engrossed at the catalogue he was looking at. He slipped out of the room and saw Randy enter hers at the end of the hall. He looked cautiously both ways before walking towards her room. He knocked on the closed door. 

Randy rolled to her back on her bed. "Come in," she said as she rolled back to her stomach. 

He peered around the door and saw Randy lying sprawled out on her bed. He grinned. "This is the second time I've been in your room," he said quietly.

She whipped her head towards the sound of his voice. "Miles! What the hell are you doing in here?" she hissed as she sat up. 

"I wanted to see you," Miles replied simply as he knelt down in front of her. 

"My dad would kill you if he saw you in here," Randy whispered as she looked into his eyes. 

"I know. But I wanted to ask you something," he said as he grasped her hands in his. 

"And what's that?" she asked, trying to ignore the soothing feeling of his thumbs rubbing over her pulse points. 

"Was I the first guy to kissyou?" Miles asked as he pressed his thumbs on her delicate wrists. 

Randy was surprised by his question. "More or less. But you didn't kiss me. I had to kiss you."

"That's true. So do you want me to kiss you now?" he asked as he leaned closer to her. 

Her lips quirked up into a smile. "Well if you insist," she said as she breathed against his mouth. 

Miles leaned forwards and brushed his lips against hers. She had such soft lips. He put his hands on either side of her and kissed her with a little more pressure. He didn't expect her to part her lips and slip her tongue along the seam of his lips. "I thought you've never been kissed before," he murmured against her lips.

Randy smiled. "I read. Your sister's romance novels do come in handy," she said as she kissed him again. 

His hands grasped her slim hips, pulling her closer until she was pressed up against his chest. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, stroking and tasting. **_"I must have a Death wish." _**But he kept on kissing her. There was nothing better then kissing her. 

She looped her arms around his neck. Giddy sensations were traveling all over her body, just from him kissing her. Her fingers toyed with the hair on the nape of his neck. It felt soft against her fingertips. And not being shy about what she wanted, she sucked on his tongue, and then drove her tongue into his mouth. She slipped from the bed until she was kneeling on the floor with him. She felt like she was in heaven. 

Miles couldn't believe the feelings that she was evoking in him. She was only sixteen and she was giving him a kiss straight out of a porn flick. His hands tightened on her hips, feeling her soft curves fit to his body. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body through his clothing. His arm slid around her waist, while the other one came up and tangled though her silky mass of hair, angling her head so he could kiss her better. 

Randy leaned into him more. She didn't want this moment to ever end.

The kiss continued to deepen and become more and more erotic as the minutes ticked by. Their lips barely leaving the others only to catch a brief breath before sealing together once again. 

He wanted her. It was hard not to want her. But he tried to keep her age in the uppermost part of his mind. His fingers traced the gentle curve of her spine before coming to rest on the small of her back. He traced lazy circles there and heard a slight whimper from her. Desire shot through him. He lifted his mouth away from hers and gazed into her face. Her lips were moist and swollen from being kissed. "I have to stop," he breathed as he traced her jaw with his finger. Her eyes were still closed. 

She opened her eyes slowly to look at him. She could see the fire burning in the depths of his green eyes. She gave him a lazy smile. "I understand," she said in a sultry tone. Her nails raked lightly on the back of his neck.

Miles felt the chills spreading down his back and arms. He looked into her eyes. They were darker, almost midnight blue in color. He knew what she was feeling. Those Maxwell eyes of hers were very expressive. **_"She has her father's eyes."_** At that thought he stood. Her father. "I should leave," he said as he put his hand on the door. 

Randy leaned back against her bed and regarded him. "Its good that you have a healthy fear of my dad. But I think you're proving to me that even though the thought of being maimed scares the hell out of you, you're willing to risk it," she said as she stood. She walked over to him and placed her hands on his chest. "Because you must think I'm worth dying for," she finished as she looked up into his eyes. 

He smiled at her and kissed her lips lightly as he slowly pushed the door open. "You are," he said as he kissed her again and bounded down the steps. 

She looked after him, smiling thoughtfully. "And I hope you know Miles that I would probably defy my dad just to be with you," she said as she went back into her room to take a nap. But she didn't see her mother at the other end of the hall when she closed the door. 

******************************************************************************

Hilde had seen Miles kiss Randy. She had no objections to them. She thought that the smooth talking Barton was good for her razor-tongued daughter. They seemed to compliment each other. But she knew that Duo did object. And quite strongly. She knew it was his fatherly instincts kicking in. It seemed funny that before they were even a couple, Duo was a notorious skirt chaser, and here he was objecting to one going after their daughter. She smiled thoughtfully as she went back down the stairs and looked out through the glass that framed the doors. She could see Duo under the hood of her Tahoe, his braid trailing down his back. "I wish you could see how much our little girl cares for him Duo. And how much he seems to care for her," she whispered before turning on her heel and going into the study. __

_ _

Author's Note: What did you think? I already know what I'm doing for the third part and I promise it will be something shocking! So stay tuned for more!

_ _

_ _


	3. Walk in the Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 3

Randy tapped her pen to the beat of the music as she sat at the kitchen table. She looked back down at the book she was reading and sighed. She was studying a book on web page design and making her own notes in the margins. She glanced back up at her mother. "Mom, where's dad today?" she asked curiously. 

"Your father had a meeting with a client at the business office," Hilde replied as she opened a bag of potato chips and sat down at the table across from her daughter. "Why?"

"No reason," Randy said as she pulled out a chip and ate it. She lowered her eyes back to her book with a slight smile crossing her lips.

Hilde eyed her daughter. She knew that look. Duo and the boys would get it too when they were up to something that they weren't supposed to. "I know that look. So what is it?" she asked as she tapped her finger on the table. 

Randy raised her eyes back to her mother. "Do you really want to know mom?" 

"Trust me, nothing you can say will shock me. Got your father to thank for that," Hilde replied as she laughed softly. 

Randy grinned. "Well, I was planning on going out today. To the Nature Preserve…with Miles."

"So that's why you wanted to know if your dad was home or not," Hilde said as she leaned back in her chair. "When did you plan this little excursion?"

"I e-mailed him," Randy replied as she closed her book. "And he said he would come back with David and Jonathon on their way home from food store. His car is being fixed."

"That was a little underhanded dear. You know how your dad feels about Miles," Hilde said gently.

"I know, but we'll be going back to the Barton's house afterwards. We're only taking a walk," Randy replied quickly. "But I want to know if it's ok with you? Please mom?"

Hilde gazed at her daughter. Her eyes were pleading. Just like Duo when he wanted something. She smiled softly. "I suppose so. But don't stay out late," she said sternly. 

"Thank you mom!" Randy said as she threw her arms around her mother's neck from across the table. "I love you!" she exclaimed as she left the table and ran up the back steps. 

Hilde rolled her eyes at her daughter's obvious enthusiasm. "Young love," she sighed as she plucked out another potato chip. 

******************************************************************************

Miles sat in the back of David's Jeep Sport. He gazed out the window. He was going out with Randy today, provided that Duo would let him take her out again. He looked towards the front at her two older brothers. "Let me ask you something David, how do you feel about me dating your little sister?" he asked.

David looked in the review mirror at him. "Well…I guess I really don't mind. I mean Randy is old enough to date whom she likes. It's my dad you have to worry about. He got so uptight about Randy's first date. And since then she hasn't dated at all because guys have heard by word of mouth of what our dad is capable of. They're terrified."

Miles smiled slightly. "But I'm not some horny sixteen year old guy either. I know how old she is. I keep it well in mind."

"No, you're a horny nineteen year old guy. There's a difference," Jonathon smirked. 

"Shut up! You're no better! The skirt chasing is in your blood," Miles hissed at Jonathon. 

"And I freely admit it. But I also don't go after vestal virgins like my sister is," Jonathon replied with another smirk. "That was always you're department."

"Deflowering virgins was not my department!" Miles replied hotly. 

"Will you two stop? Both of you are skirt chasers. Leave it at that already," David said with exasperation. 

"Oh and what about you David? You're not that innocent either," Jonathon retorted at his brother. 

"I'm not, but at least I don't advertise the fact like you two," David shot back as he pulled up the long driveway. 

"You always had to be the good one," Jonathon muttered under his breath. 

"And you always had to be the bad one," David snapped. 

"No, that's Chris's department," Jonathon answered back. 

"Now will you two stop," Miles said as he rolled his eyes at them.

The two brothers glared at each other as they pulled into the garage behind the house. In it, were the cars driven by the kids. Chris's convertible wasn't there, Jonathon's truck, and Randy's Jeep Wrangler. 

"Baka," David snapped at his brother as he hopped out. 

"Jerk," Jonathon hissed back at his brother. 

Miles sighed resignedly as he followed the brothers in through the kitchen door as they carried the two bags from the food store. 

******************************************************************************

Randy heard the kitchen door slam and her brothers' voices. She straightened the slim fitting black shirt over her dark green cutoff shorts. She tried to walk calmly down the stairs, but her heart was pounding with anticipation over seeing Miles again. _"Down girl." _She could see his back turned to her as she came down the steps. "Hello Miles."

Miles turned to look at her. She looked absolutely tempting. "Hi Randy," he said as he watched her come towards him. "You ready?" he asked as he took her hands in his. 

She smiled up at him and glanced at her mother. "Yeah, I'm ready," she said as she tightened her hands in his. "Can I take my car since his is in the shop mom?" she asked.

"Go ahead. Don't be out late," Hilde said as she watched her daughter smile broadly at Miles.

"Come on then, let's go," Randy said as she grabbed her keys from the hook on the wall and dragged Miles out of the house to her Jeep. 

"Slow down imp," Miles laughed as he pulled her to him once they got in the garage. "I would like to have a kiss first," he said as he pressed a gentle kiss on her pert lips. 

She opened her eyes again as he ended the kiss. "You're sweet, you know," she said as she climbed into her Jeep and started it. 

"And so are you," he replied as he got in the passenger side. He watched her put the car into gear. And like her brothers and her father, she drove fast. "Don't give me a heart attack here," he chuckled as the wind whipped past them on the way to the Preserve. 

"Sorry, habit," Randy laughed as she slowed down a little. "My dad was the one who taught me how to drive, after Chris of course," she said with a grin as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. 

"I can tell," Miles replied as he watched the scenery speed past him. They reached the Preserve in no time. He hopped out and ran to her side. He placed his hands on her slim waist and lifted her to the ground. He bent his head again and placed another kiss on her lips. "I'm driving back. You're driving scares the hell out of me," he said into her ear. 

"Chicken," she giggled and slipped her hand into his. 

"Imp, you're driving would scare anyone," he said with a smile and they started to walk. He looked down at her as she walked beside him. "Where was your dad?"

"Dad was meeting with a client down at the business office. That's why I was able to go. I asked my mom instead," Randy replied as they walked over a footbridge that crossed a bubbling stream. 

"I see. I take it your mom doesn't mind you and me together," Miles stated as they stopped to look at squirrels chasing each other up and down the trees. 

"No, she doesn't mind. She likes you," she said as they began to walk again. She glanced up at the canopy of trees overhead. They blocked out most of the sun's warming rays, making the shade unusually cool. 

"I'm glad that at least one parent likes me," he said as his fingers tightened on hers. 

"Don't worry Miles. It'll take some time before my dad will come around. But eventually he'll get over his urges to kill you," she said with a sidewise smile. 

"One can only hope," Miles sighed.

They walked silently through the woods, sometimes stopping to look at something. Randy would lean her head on Miles's shoulder as they walked. And he would stop to press kisses on her lips. They weren't expecting the sudden rain that came upon them. 

"Crap," Randy said as she looked up, water splattering on her face. 

"Hey, don't worry. Remember that waterfall that we walked past. I think there was a cave behind it. So let's go look," Miles said as he started running, pulling her along with him. 

She followed him, keeping up with his long strides, laughing as water splashed down on them. "Are we there yet, this rain is damn cold," she observed. 

"Almost there," Miles answered as he looked over his shoulder at her. They finally reached the waterfall. He walked along the side and found the space behind the falls to walk. "Here we are," he said as he pulled her in after him. 

Randy looked around. "At least its dry," she said walking away from him. She put her hand up on the wall. "A little damp, but I suppose it'll do until it stops pouring rain." She trailed her hands over the rough walls. Her eyes spotted something on the wall. She stepped over a huge rock and took a closer look. Her eyes widened. "Miles, come and look at this," she said as she looked over her shoulder at him. 

"What is it?" he asked as he came and stood behind her. 

"The names and dates that are written on the wall," she said excitedly. "They're the names of our parents and the dates that they married," she said as she ran her fingers over the names of Duo Maxwell & Hilde Schiebecker, November 30 A.C. 200. 

"Wow," he replied as he reached out and touched the names Trowa Barton & Middi Une, August 12 A.C. 200. 

"That's so romantic," she exclaimed softly as she looked at the other names etched in the wall. "Hey look, my brother's name is even here," she said as she touched the name of Christopher Maxwell & Victoria Yuy, July 22 A.C. 220. "That's the date that they declared their love for the other."

"Certainly took them long enough," Miles replied wryly. 

"They were just too stubborn. They needed a little help," Randy smirked as she looked up at him. "That's why I helped a little."

"You more like pushed," he replied as he twirled a lock of her wet inky hair around his finger. 

Randy laughed and leaned against him for a moment. Her eyes scanned the area a little more. "Hey, look a trunk," she said as she moved away. She climbed over another rock. She knelt down in front of it. There was a heavy lock on it. "Hmmm," she said as she slipped a pin from her hair and adroitly picked the lock. She pushed it open and found blankets. "Thank goodness," she said. "Now I can get warm," she muttered as she pulled out a blanket and tossed one to Miles. Her eyes fell on the engraved initials on the inside of the lid, DM, HY, TB, QW, CW. "This belongs to our dads," she said with some surprise.

"They must bring our mothers' here," Miles said as he knelt down next to her. His eyes fell on a high pile of wood. "There's some firewood too. Maybe if I started one, it would warm up," he said as he picked up few logs and set them down in the middle of the floor. "Is there anything in there to start this?"

"Let's see," she answered and dug through the box. "No, there isn't. Use rocks and create a spark that way," she called over her shoulder. She rubbed her hands over her cold arms. "Dammit, this is cold," she mumbled as she touched her soaked clothing. She looked over her shoulder again. His back was to her. She looked at an outcropping of rock and walked behind it. "Well at least its better then freezing," she said as she put the blanket down and stripped off her shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes, until she was standing there in only a black and red lace bra and panties. They were wet too because of the soaking rain. "What the hell," she said and pulled them off as well. She wrapped the blanket around her, grateful that it covered everything and that it went down to her knees. _"Do you know what you're doing? **Yes. I'm staying warm. **Miles is right over there, what will he think? **Better to stay warm then freeze my ass off. **Wrong, he'll be thinking something else entirely. **Well duh, he is a guy. I expect that. But he won't do anything.** Are you sure about that? **I'm sure. He'll probably kiss me and that's it. **You better hope he does. **Just go away. I know what I'm doing." **_She walked from behind the outcropping. 

He struck to stones together several times before it was enough to catch on the wood. He sat there for a moment, making sure that it would be enough to start a fire. Soon, small flames were dancing from it and illuminating the gray walls of the cave with a warm glow. He turned around to see Randy in nothing but a towel. He gulped. "Umm…Randy what did you…why did you…" His palms starting itching. He knew that she probably wasn't wearing a thing under the blanket. _"Behave yourself. **Don't you think I know that! **Do you? Your body doesn't. **I'll ignore it. She's only sixteen for crying out loud! **Your body doesn't think that's an acceptable answer. **Well that's too damn bad because that's the answer it's going to get!" **_But he couldn't stop his eyes from traveling over her. He raised his eyes to hers. 

"I was cold," Randy admitted, flushing a little under his intense gaze. She swallowed. "I suggest you do the same," she said as she nodded to his soaking wet clothes. 

Miles looked down at himself. "I guess," he said as he stood. He walked past her, holding onto the blanket that she had given him earlier. He pulled off his clothes and wrapped the blanket around his body. His eyes met hers as he came from behind the rock. She had laid out her clothes on the rock close to the fire. He went over and laid his down next to hers. 

She went and grabbed two more blankets and put them on a large rock in front of the fire. She sat down on top of it, curling her legs underneath her. She watched him as he sat down on the other side of the rock with at least four feet of space between them. Her eyes went back to the fire, watching the orange and yellow flames dance. 

He looked over at her. He could see the firelight reflected in her eyes. He couldn't see a bit of her skin, save for her neck and an arm that was holding the blanket closed. His mind was going wild at what was underneath it. _"Stop it, stop it, stop it! **Stop what? **You know what! Keep your hands to yourself. She isn't just some other girl. **I know that! But it is kind of hard not to think about it. **I don't care, just stop!" _"Do you feel cold anymore?" he asked softly. 

"A little," Randy replied as she glanced over at him. "Are you?" she asked back. 

"A little," Miles answered back as he looked over at her. He could see her toes poking out from underneath the edge of the blanket. He saw her shiver a little. "You know, we might be warmer if we sat closer together," he suggested.

She looked at him. She knew he was right. She sighed and scooted closer to him, bringing the blanket that she was sitting on with her. She was now next to him. "This ok?" she asked as she laid her head against his shoulder. She drew the other blanket over her with her free hand. 

"That's fine," he whispered as he closed his eyes. He could feel her slender form pressed entirely against his side. This was killing him. _"Not if her father doesn't first." _He gulped at that thought. If her dad ever caught them like this, he would be sure he wouldn't be living to see the next day. He hoped the rain ended soon. 

Randy stared into the fire. She could feel the warmth of his body permeating through her blanket, warming her chilled skin. She instinctively snuggled closer to him. _"This is dangerous, you know. **I know, but I'm thinking rationally. I need his warmth to keep me warm. **Your father? **I know, he would go crazy, but what he doesn't know, won't kill him." **_She closed her eyes. 

Miles felt her snuggle closer. It was like heaven and hell all at once. He looked down at her again. Her eyes were closed, her lashes lying like lush fans on her pale cheeks. She looked so incredibly beautiful that it made him ache all over. He lifted one arm and placed it around her. He rested his head on top of hers and looked back into the flames. He could soon hear the shallow, even breathing of her sleep. He sighed. He didn't want this moment to end. He could still hear the rain. But the thought of her father burned in his brain. Her father. God of Death. He really hoped the rain ended soon.

******************************************************************************

Duo pulled into the garage, happy to be home at last. He jumped out and went in through the door that led to the kitchen via the rather large mudroom. He noticed the house was silent, except for the lilting of classical music coming from the family room. He hung his keys up on the hook next to the door, not noticing that Randy's were gone. He walked silently through the kitchen and up the few steps that led to the large family room. His eyes fell on his wife, sitting curled up on the couch, flipping though a magazine. "Babe, I'm home," he called softly with a grin on his lips. 

Hilde looked up and smiled at him. "I see that you're home. Took you all day with that client," she said as she put the magazine on the table and slid off her glasses. "I was wondering when you would get here."

He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "Why? Miss me?" he asked as he brushed his nose against hers. 

"You know I did," she replied as she returned the gesture. 

Duo kissed her lips softly as he slid his arms around her. "I missed you too," he said against her mouth. 

A smile crossed her lips. "You always miss me. Or rather my cooking is what you miss when you're out late," she teased. 

"Very funny," he murmured as he nipped her lips. "But I'm not hungry for food right now," he said as he began pushing her down on the couch. 

"I can see that," Hilde replied weakly as his lips covered hers in a long sensuous kiss. She wrapped her arms about his neck as his weight settled on top of her. Her fingers toyed with the hair on his nape.

Duo deepened the kiss. No matter how long they had been married, he still couldn't keep his hands off of her. He heard her pleased whimper as his hands slid down her hips and under her white cotton blouse. He lifted his lips from hers briefly. He looked down into her face. "Where are the kids?" he asked huskily as fingers pressed against her smooth skin. 

"The kids are out. We're all alone," she replied faintly as she opened her eyes. His kisses always had a drugging effect on her. "Chris went to the Yuy's for dinner. David went out on a date with Kellie, and Jonathon I think went to play pool with Dominic and Damien at the pool hall."

"Hmm, our son seeing Zechs's little girl. I wonder how he likes that?" he mused thoughtfully as he looked into her cornflower eyes. "And where is our devilish little girl tonight?" he asked. 

Hilde's eyes skittered away from his for a moment. "She went out Duo," she replied hesitantly. 

"Out with who?" Duo asked, a little puzzled why her eyes began to look guilty. 

"She went out with Miles," she replied, brazening it out. She saw that dangerous look enter his eyes. "Now Duo, they only went for a walk in the Preserve and then they were going back to his house. You know Trowa and Middi will be there," she said quickly. 

"You let our daughter go out with him!" he asked as he leaned away from her. "Why did you do that for?"

Hilde sighed as she sat up. "Sweetheart, Randy is a big girl, she is old enough to go out on a date."

"Not with Miles she isn't," Duo gritted out. 

"You don't even let her go out on dates with guys her own age. You managed to scare them all off," she pointed out exasperatedly. 

"That was the whole point with the shot gun. It got my point across quite nicely," he snapped as he stood. "I'm calling Trowa to see if she's there," he said over his shoulder as he left the room. 

"Shit," Hilde muttered under her breath as she heard him pick up the phone. "Paranoid, paranoid, paranoid," she muttered under her breath as well. She watched him come back into the family room. "Are you satisfied?" 

"No. They aren't there," Duo replied in a clipped voice. His eyes looked out to the rain streaming down the windows. "I have a notorious skirt chaser out with my daughter and I'm going out to look for them," he said as he turned on his heel and strode from the room. 

"Duo!" she called as she bounded after him. She linked her arms about his waist in the kitchen. "You're not going out there to look for them. Randy is a responsible young lady," she said as she tried to hold him back. 

"She might be responsible, but I don't trust him," he growled as he walked across the floor, only being slowed down a little from Hilde hanging on to him. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Baby, let go."

Hilde shook her head. "No, I'm not letting go. You have to get used to this Duo. She isn't a little girl anymore," she said as her socks slid on the black and white tiled floor of the kitchen. She tightened her grip on him even more. 

"I don't have to get used to anything," he said through clenched teeth as he made it to the mudroom. "Now let go."

"You're being irrational," she pointed out as she put herself in front of him, blocking his way to the garage. 

"I'm being completely rational Hilde, get out of the way," Duo said in a low voice. 

"No I won't get out of the way. And you're far from being rational. I can see that look in your eyes. I'm not stupid. You're not leaving this house. You'll have to go through me first," she challenged. 

"That's easy enough," he said as he picked her up and set her out of his way. 

"Dratted man!" Hilde said as she grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him down to her. She planted a hot kiss on his lips. 

Duo pulled his mouth free. "It's not going to work this time babe," he said as he slipped out of her grasp. He opened the door to the garage and stepped out. 

"Dammit!" she said as she pushed her feet into her boots by the door and pulled on her dark blue raincoat. She rushed out after him into the garage. She yanked open the passenger side of the Suburban. "If you're going out there to look for them, I'm coming with you," she said as she hopped in as he began pulling out. 

"Why?" he snapped as he yanked the SUV out of reverse and into drive, with his foot on the gas. 

"Because I'll be the one stopping you from killing anybody," Hilde snapped back as she held on to the dashboard as he sped down the driveway. 

"You do that," Duo growled as he turned onto the main road towards the Nature Preserve. "I won't kill him, just break every bone in his body extremely slowly."

"You're a maniac when you're irrational," she muttered. 

"That's why I was called the God of Death baby," he replied grimly. His foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. 

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hilde whispered to herself. 

******************************************************************************

Miles opened his eyes and looked down at Randy. She was still asleep. He glanced at his watch. It was a little after eight and it was still raining. Her legs were now draped over his lap, with her head lolled against his chest. He pressed a gentle kiss on her drying hair and on her forehead. "Duerme mi querida," he whispered in Spanish. It was something that he had picked up from his mother. He remembered her saying it to him when he was a little boy when she was putting him to bed. "Te' amo," he whispered once again. He closed his eyes once again, having no idea what was coming his way. 

******************************************************************************

"You baka! Slow down or else you'll get us both killed!" Hilde hissed at Duo as he made a sharp right turn and almost hydroplaned. _'I swear he'll be the death of me."_

Duo said nothing, but slowed down just a little. He pulled into the parking lot of the Preserve. He spotted Randy's Jeep sitting there in the rain. "They're still here," he pointed out flatly. 

"I can see that," she replied as she rolled her eyes. She latched onto his arm as he opened the car door. "Promise me you won't go crazy on me, at least promise me that."

He looked at her holding onto his arm. He looked up into her eyes. They were pleading. "I'll think about it," he said shortly as he got out and closed the door. 

"Dammit Duo!" Hilde yelled as she got out, pulling the hood of her raincoat over her head. She followed him over to Randy's Jeep. She could see that no one was inside it. "Duo, promise me," she said as she grabbed his arm again. 

Duo looked back at his wife. Water was beginning to drip off his bangs. "I don't know if I can promise anything," he replied as he turned on his heel and started down a path. 

She stamped her foot angrily. "This is not going well," she said under her breath as she ran after him. "I hope that they're not in any compromising situation or else all hell is going to break loose."

He was walking at ground eating strides. _"If that guy so much as has a hand on my daughter, I'm going to kill him. **You're being irrational, you know. **Will you go away! I don't have time to argue with you!" _Frankly, he wasn't at all sure what he was going to do to Miles. It would depend solely on what he saw. And if he didn't like it, well, Miles would have a short life span. 

Hilde could barely keep up with him, her shorter strides not being able to keep up with his longer ones. These were days she cursed the fact that she was on the short side. She recognized her surroundings. She suddenly knew where they were heading. 

Duo could see the waterfall ahead. He stopped when he reached it. He could see something flickering behind it. 

She stopped next to him. She looked up at him. His jaw was set and his eyes were glowing dangerously. "Duo," she said warningly. 

He glanced back at his wife. Her eyes were angry and pleading at the same time. He stepped behind the waterfall. He was rooted to the spot when his eyes fell on them. His eyes narrowed. 

Hilde followed and walked into his back. "What the…" she peered around him. She glanced up at him. His gaze was downright murderous. _"Oh shit!"_

****

(Duerme mi querida= Sleep my love, dear) (Te amo= I love you)

__

Author's Note: Well what do you think is going to happen? Will Hilde be able to stop Duo before Death releases it fury on Miles? Stay tuned for more! 


	4. Hell Hath No Fury Like An Angry God Of D...

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 4

Duo was seething at the sight before him. He could only see the clothes lying on the rocks and the fact that his very undressed daughter was in the arms of a very undressed Miles. Miles was dead. He took a step forward. 

Hilde's eyes bounced between the two of them. And being rational, she knew that they hadn't done anything. She felt Duo take a step away from her. She knew what he was capable of doing, so with all her strength, she latched onto his arm and pulled him out of the cave back into the rain. "Don't you dare do it Duo Maxwell?" she warned as she pushed him against the rock.

"Let go Hilde," he growled as he looked into his wife's upturned face. 

"No, I'm not. I'm not going to let you go in there and maim that poor boy for doing absolutely nothing," she hissed at him. The hood of her raincoat had fallen back, letting the rain soak her hair. 

"Nothing! You think that they did nothing!" Duo hissed back. His hands curled into fists. "Neither of them are wearing anything!"

"Well if you haven't noticed, it's raining and their clothes were spread out to dry! If they'd had sex, their clothes would be flung all over the place!" Hilde snapped at him. 

"Too bad, he's dead anyway," he gritted out.

"Our daughter is only sixteen years old! And David and Jonathon have told me that Miles is very aware of how old she is! He's not going to do something that he shouldn't!" she exclaimed angrily. "And you know, she's not either of us at sixteen, that was a different time!"

"I was chasing girls at her age," Duo shot back. "And you know what I was doing at his age?"

"What?" she growled. 

"Fucking you till your ears rang!" 

****

*CRACK* Her palm landed across his cheek with enough force to make his head snap sideways. "If you ever say something like that to me again, you will permanently find residence on the couch, you hear me!" Hilde yelled furiously. "Now, you will stay out here and I will go back in there and wake them up! You will stay here! Have I made myself clear!" With that, she turned on her heel and went back inside the cave. She walked over to the sleeping couple and shook Miles on the shoulder lightly. "Miles," she whispered. 

Duo stood there with his cheek burning. Angry with himself, angry with Miles. "Jackass," he muttered at himself rubbing his stinging cheek. 

******************************************************************************

Miles heard someone calling his name. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking the person in front of him into focus. "Aunt Hilde," he said as he woke up completely. 

"Mom," Randy whispered as she woke up. She opened her eyes and saw her mother in front of her. "Mom! What are you doing here? We didn't do anything, I swear!" she admitted frantically. 

"I know you didn't dear," Hilde said gently as she stepped back. Her lips turned into a frown. "But your father is thinking otherwise."

Randy paled. "Daddy?"

Miles paled even more. "D…Duo." _I don't even have a will made out."_

"Your father is outside waiting. I suggest you both put your clothes on," Hilde said as she turned her back. She walked to the entrance of the cave. "Give me your jacket," she said in a flat voice as she looked at Duo. 

Duo looked back at his wife. Her eyes were still glittering with fury. He didn't blame her. He shrugged off his leather jacket and handed it to her. 

"Thanks," Hilde said tersely before turning on her heel and going back inside. 

Miles was already dressed and had put the blankets away. Except for one. He watched as Hilde came back in. He went over to her. "Hilde I…"

Hilde put her hand up. "You don't have to explain anything to me Miles. I'm not the one who wants to kill you."

Miles closed his eyes. "How afraid should I be?" _"I know what that answer is going to be. I won't live to see the next day."_

Hilde's eyes clouded a little. She knew what Duo's temper was capable of. "I would be very, very afraid," she replied as she saw even more color drain from his young face. 

"I'm ready mom," Randy said as she came out from behind the rock. Her clothes were still a bit damp, but not uncomfortable to wear. 

Hilde handed her daughter Duo's jacket. "Put that on," she said softly. 

Randy slid on the leather jacket. The inside was dry and warm from her dad. "Is dad really mad mom?" she asked quietly. 

Hilde looked at her daughter. She could see the fear in her eyes. She knew that she was afraid for Miles. She would admit that she was scared for the young man too. "We should go," she said as she walked out of the cave. Her eyes didn't even look at Duo as she walked past him. She drew her hood back up. 

Randy followed her mother, glancing at her dad as she passed. Her eyes caught his for a second before she walked on. 

Miles eyes instantly came into contact with Duo's. Fear seeped in as he held the blanket over him. He knew nothing would save him from this. 

Duo followed, the rain soaking into his shirt and jeans. He glared at Miles's back the entire way back to the cars. He had noticed that his wife hadn't even looked at him. And his daughter barely looked at him. And Miles had looked at him. He said nothing until they reached the cars. 

"I guess I'll take Miles home," Hilde said as she looked at Randy and Miles. She ignored Duo. 

"You can take my keys mom," Randy said as she handed her mother her keys. 

"No."

"What?" Hilde asked as she turned to look at Duo. 

"I said no. You go home with Randy, I'll take Miles home," he stated in a hard voice. 

"Duo," Hilde said through clenched teeth. "I want you to take Randy…"

"And I said no. Randy will go home with you. And I will take Miles home," Duo stated through clenched teeth of his own. 

******************************************************************************

Randy looked at Miles. Her eyes were wide at what her dad said. She had heard what Miles had said to her when he thought she was deep asleep. "Te amo," still rang in her ears. She knew what it meant. 

Miles went cold. Him and Duo in a car. Alone. There would be nothing to save him from the wrath he knew must be boiling under the surface. He glanced at Randy. Her eyes were filled with fear for him. He mouthed the words to her. "Te amo Randy."

She smiled tearfully. "Te amo Miles," she mouthed back. 

He smiled slightly when he saw her mouth the words back. It made him incredibly happy that she said them back. 

******************************************************************************

Duo's eyes went to Miles and his daughter. They were looking at each other. "Get in the car," he snapped at Miles. "And take you mother home," he ordered Randy.

"DUO!" Hilde snapped at him. 

His eyes swung to Hilde's. "Don't argue with me onna, get in the car with Miranda and go home. I'm not going to say it again!"

Hilde pursed her lips, but said nothing. "Come on dear," she said to Randy as they walked to the Jeep. 

"Miranda, you and I are going to talk when I get home," Duo stated as she walked away from him. 

Randy flinched when she heard the use of her full name. _"Shit." _That usually meant she was in deep trouble. "Yes daddy," she replied in a small voice as she climbed into the driver's side. 

Miles felt his heart clinch painfully as he watched Randy walk away. His eye swung to Duo's as he got into the Suburban. 

Randy bit her lip, refusing to let herself cry. She started the Jeep up as soon as her mother climbed in. She didn't say anything as she pulled out of the parking lot and started home. 

Duo got in the SUV and glanced at the young man next to him. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, keeping them there. He wanted nothing more then to choke the life out of Miles, but reigned in enough of his temper not to. 

Miles watched the taillights of the Jeep disappear from view. He didn't even want to glance at what was next him. _"Death." _

******************************************************************************

Hilde glanced over at her daughter. She could see that Randy was struggling not to lose it. She didn't blame her daughter for this. She knew that the attraction between Miles and Randy couldn't be helped. They were both young. 

Randy drove calmly for her mother's benefit. She watched as the rain slipped down the windshield. She was still biting her lip, hard. She could taste blood as she kept herself from crying. She pulled into the driveway and into the garage behind the house. She walked silently behind her mother as they walked in through the other garage and into the mudroom. She slipped off her still wet trail runners and hung her father's jacket on the peg by the back door. 

Hilde could see the blood on her daughter's lip. She knew that Randy had inherited Duo's pride. She wouldn't show emotion at all. Her daughter had been more or less a tomboy, being the only girl with three older brothers. She had always roughhoused with them as a girl, acquiring bumps and bruises, but always determined to keep up with her brothers. And that had meant no tears, or hardly any. Her little girl had learned to keep it inside until she was alone. "Sweetheart, why don't you put some dry clothes on and come back down. I'll make you a hot cup of tea," she said gently. 

Randy looked at her mother's soft expression. "Sure mom," she replied faintly as she trudged up the stairs to her room. Once there, she slowly mechanically pulled off her clothes and stepped into a steaming shower. It drove the cold away, but not the lump in her throat. But she wouldn't let herself cry yet. Her slim hands curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Not yet," she whispered. 

Hilde had gone up herself and had pulled on a clean dry flannel robe. She could hear the shower running from her daughter's room. She padded downstairs and made some tea for Randy and turned on the coffee machine for herself. She sat down on one of the barstools around the island and waited for her daughter to come down. 

Randy pulled on drawstring sweatpants and a navy blue tank top before going back downstairs. Her hair hung in a wet mass down her back. Her bare feet walked silently across the kitchen floor as she pulled out a chair from the table and brought her knees up to her chest. Her eyes connected with her mother's but she said nothing. 

Hilde got up and put the cup of tea in front of Randy. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked quietly. She rubbed her daughter's shoulder lightly. 

"No, not hungry mom," Randy replied softly as she took a sip of her tea. Her eyes went to the window and looked out at the rain still streaming down them. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. _"Please God, keep Miles safe." _She continued to stare out the window.

******************************************************************************

Miles watched the wipers go back and forth. He didn't say anything. He was too afraid to say anything. For the first time in his life, he would admit that he was scared shitless. His eyes glanced briefly towards Duo. He could see his hands clutching the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. His eyes turned forwards again. He swallowed hard. 

Duo glanced back at Miles. It was taking almost superhuman effort not to pound him like he wanted to. His eyes went back to the road ahead of him. He knew that Hilde was pissed at him now too for that careless little remark. He knew he shouldn't have said that even before her palm connected to his cheek. He pulled up the road where Trowa and Middi lived. He stopped in front of the house and let it idle. 

The only sound that he could hear was his heart pounding. Miles was sure that Duo could hear it too. His hand went to the handle to let himself out. The door was only open a little until an arm shot across him and yanked it closed and locked it. _" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death…" _His eyes connected to Duo's. He instantly knew where Randy got her temper. Those cobalt eyes were almost black. His heart dropped and he stopped breathing.

"If you ever, ever have your hands on my daughter again or even think of having your hands on my daughter again, I will personally break every bone in your body so slowly that you'll be begging for death in the end," Duo growled menacingly, his eyes boring into the emerald green ones in front of him. "And if I catch you anywhere near my daughter, you'll wish I killed you right now. Have I made myself clear."

Miles shook his head wildly. "Crystal," he rasped out. 

"Good. Now get out," Duo said in a low voice. 

******************************************************************************

Miles pushed the door open and practically ran for the front door. He heard squealing tires and turned to see the Suburban swallowed up in the rain. He knocked on the door weakly. His legs were shaking. His mother opened the door. 

"Miles!" Middi exclaimed as she looked at her bedraggled son. She could see that his eyes were wide with something akin to fright. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly as she pulled him into the house. 

He sat down on the bottom step and let his head fall into his hands. He took deep ragged breaths. He thought that if his heart pounded any harder it would burst through his ribs. 

Trowa came out from the kitchen family room and saw his son sitting on the steps. "Miles, where have you been. I thought you and Randy were coming here?" he asked as leaned against the wall, staring at his son. 

Miles looked up into the matching pair of green eyes. "Dad, have you ever seen Death?"

Trowa stared at his son, noticing the emphasis on death. "Why?" he asked. _"Duo." _

"Because I've just looked it right in the face and it has a grave already dug for me," Miles replied as he shoved the heel of his hands into his eyes. "Death, specifically said if I touched his daughter again, he would break everything in my body, very slowly."

Middi knelt down next to her son and touched the side of his face. His skin was cold and clammy to the touch. "Darling, you're freezing," she said softly. 

"We got caught in the rain on our walk and we went to that cave behind the waterfall. I swear nothing happened. I made a fire and we wrapped up in blankets, with our clothes drying on the rocks. All I did was have my arms around her, nothing more. And Duo saw us and well he's…" he trailed off as he looked up at his parents again. 

Trowa's face tightened a little. _"Just like Duo to fly off the handle. What a baka! And what I don't like is that he threatened my son." _ "Go on upstairs and go to bed. You look like you need it," he said quietly.

"Sure dad," Miles replied as he stood and slowly walked up the stairs to his room. He stood under a hot jetting spray. Duo's words rang in his head. He clenched his eyes shut. "Dammit! This isn't fair!" he hissed at himself as he pounded his fists on the tile. He climbed out and pulled on dry clothes before flopping onto the bed. He stared sightlessly at the ceiling. There was a soft knock at his door. "Come in," he said tonelessly. 

Middi pushed the door open silently and closed it behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bed. She could see the pain in her son's eyes. They were so expressive, for he never had to learn how to hide his emotions like her or his father. "Are you all right?" she asked gently as she brushed his wet hair away from his forehead. 

"No," he replied softly. He sat up and put his arms around his petite mother. "I think I've lost her mom," he said against her neck. The tears that he had managed to conceal finally fell. 

Middi stroked his head as she felt his hot tears against her neck. "Shh, it's all right Miles," she whispered as he cried. She hated it when her children were like this. She didn't know what to do for them sometimes. And Miles her eldest hadn't let his emotions loose like this since he was a little boy. And she supposed it was because of Randy Maxwell. That girl had made an impact on him. When he had returned from college and his eyes had fallen on Randy, he hadn't looked at another girl since. She had seen how he flirted with her and the sixteen-year-old had flirted back. She had questioned that at first because of the obvious age difference. But as time went on, and he and Randy began talking, did she realize that her son was in love with the girl. So she continued to stroke his russet hair and murmur soothing words in his ear. 

Miles lifted his head away from his mother's neck. He rubbed his hands across his face, wiping the tears away. "Sorry mom. Its not often you see a nineteen year old guy cry like that," he said weakly. 

"It's all right love. Why don't you get some sleep?" she said as she stood and pressed a kiss on his forehead. She walked towards the door. She paused for a moment and turned to look at him. "Your father is going to talk to Duo tomorrow," she said.

"Like that'll change anything," he said a bit sullenly. 

"You never know," Middi said as she opened the door. "Duerme mi hijo. Te amo," she said softly. 

Miles looked up at his mother, the hall light shining softly off her platinum blonde hair. "That's what I said to Randy too," he said in a faraway voice. 

"You told her you loved her," she said with a slight smile. 

"Yeah, I love her," he said as he looked out the window into the rain. 

Middi smiled sadly and closed the door. She shook her head and slowly walked back down the stairs. 

******************************************************************************

The clock ticked in the silent kitchen. Hilde sipped her second cup of decaffeinated coffee and watched her daughter take swallow another mouthful of tea. Her eyes went to the clock. Ten thirty. Her eyes went back to Randy.

Randy could feel her mother watching her. She blinked her eyes once and finished her second cup of tea that her mom insisted that she have. Her eyes went to the clock as well. She was dreading the return of her dad. She knew he didn't lose his temper often, but when he did, it was best to get out of the way. She had noticed the handprint her father's face when she had looked at him. And by the way that him and her mom had been talking, she knew that her mother must have slapped him for something he said. The kitchen door opened and she started. It was only Chris. 

Chris looked at his mom and his sister. Both of them said nothing. "Why is it so quiet?" he asked as he looked at Randy. 

"No reason," Randy replied flatly as she raised her eyes to his. 

Chris looked at his mother. 

"Your father," Hilde replied quietly. 

Chris looked back at his sister. She did look miserable. "What happened?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her. He looked into cobalt eyes that mirrored his own. He could see the unshed tears and the anger, the hurt, the fear. Something was drastically wrong. She didn't answer him. He could see her bite her lip again and her eyes fall away from his. He was just about to ask her again when the garage door opened. His eyes lifted and saw his dad come in. He could tell his dad was in a real bad mood. He squeezed Randy's cold hand reassuringly before standing. He pressed a kiss on his mother's cheek as he passed. "Night mom," he said faintly as he went upstairs. He stopped when he got to the top and listened. 

"Night Chris," Hilde said as she watched him walk up the steps. Her eyes went to Duo's. "Put dry clothes on, I won't have you making a puddle on the clean kitchen floor."

Duo looked hard at his wife. She was still very angry. He turned and walked back into the mudroom. He noticed dry clothes on top of the dryer. He hurriedly pulled off his wet ones and pulled on the dry ones. He went back into the kitchen. His eyes went Randy, who wasn't even looking at him. Hilde was sipping her coffee again. 

Hilde noticed Randy flinch when Duo came back in. She could see her nails digging into her palms. Her eyes went back to him. He didn't look angry enough to kill anymore, but he still had enough in him to make his eyes flash dangerously. 

No one said anything. The clock ticked in the silent room. 

******************************************************************************

Chris heard the sounds of David's and Jonathon's cars. He ran down the hall to the front steps and slid down the banister. He flung open the door. It had stopped raining. He went to the back of the house. "Hey don't go in the back," he warned them as they got out. 

"Why?" David asked as he looked at Chris. 

"Because I think something bad is going down between mom, dad, and Randy. I don't know what it is, but dad looks extremely pissed," Chris said as he looked back towards the house. 

"It's Miles, isn't it?" Jonathon asked as they walked to the front of the house. 

"Miles? What's going on?" Chris asked.

"Miles and Randy went out to the Preserve today," David answered. 

"And dad didn't know about it," Jonathon said. "Mom let her go out with him."

"So that's why," Chris mused. "But I think its something more then that. Be really quiet and come upstairs with me," he said in a soft voice as they walked back inside the house. 

They walked silently up the stairs. They removed their shoes and closed their doors before all sitting on the floor or leaning on the wall next to the back steps and waited. 

"I don't hear anything," Jonathon whispered to Chris, who was standing against the wall. 

"I don't think anyone's said anything yet," Chris whispered back. 

"Shh," David hushed as he looked at his brothers. 

******************************************************************************

Randy could hear the sounds of her brother's footsteps as they went back up the stairs. She counted the sound of three doors closing and then silence. She swallowed. Her nails were stinging in her palms and the lump in her throat felt like it was choking her. The clock chimed eleven, startling her, making her knee bump against the table. Her eyes swung towards her dad first. His eyes were on her. 

Duo stared at Randy. Her eyes had gone wide when she looked at him. He looked back at Hilde. She looked away from him. "You have some explaining to do young lady," he said in a low angry voice. 

Randy's eyes skittered back to his. "What is there to explain, you'll just shoot it down anyway," she replied just as angrily. 

"What were you doing out with Miles!" he growled. 

"I was on a date! Something I'm not allowed to go on because you've scared all the guys off!" Randy returned heatedly. Her nails broke through the skin, drawing blood. Her chest was aching.

"And with good reason! All those boys just want to…"

"Want to what dad? Sleep with me! God forbid! I don't need you to tell me that! But I'm a big girl; I am perfectly capable of handling any guy I meet! I don't need you scaring them all off!" she yelled back, her eyes blazing now. 

"You're too young, especially for Miles! He's too old for you and I don't like the way that he hangs around you and how he looks at you!"

"Like you look at mom when you think no one is looking? Dammit dad, Miles hasn't done a thing to me! He hasn't made any overture to get me into bed! I know how old I am and so does he!"

Duo raked his hand through his wet hair. His daughter was openly defying him, much like Hilde would do. "Listen to me Miranda, you're my daughter, and I will not let a skirt chaser like Miles Barton put his hands on you!" he shouted. 

******************************************************************************

Chris, Jonathon, and David listened as the yelling continued to go on downstairs. Making them all flinch when they heard Randy yelling back. 

******************************************************************************

Hilde watched as father and daughter yelled back and forth. They were so like one another. Randy had a temper to match his. She didn't get involved. Not yet. 

"Skirt chaser! Jeez dad, like you were so much better when you were a teenager," Randy hissed. Some blood dripped from her palms to the floor. 

"We're not talking about me!" Duo hissed back, noticing the few drops of blood on the floor. 

Hilde snorted. 

Duo turned his eyes to his wife. "And don't you have anything to say?" he asked. 

"Not yet," Hilde replied shortly as she poured herself a third cup. 

"That's a laugh! You don't want me dating someone that was like you!" Randy hissed her voice beginning to crack under the strain of holding back. 

That had Duo at a loss for words. He stared at her. He could see her swallowing convulsively as she held everything. And her eyes had gone almost black, like his did when he was angry and upset. "I don't want you to get hurt," he bit out. "That's why you're not allowed to date Miles again and I told him more or less the same!"

"WHAT!" Randy shrieked as she got out of the chair. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" she screeched at him, her voice cracking horribly, the tears in her eyes beginning to well up. 

"NOTHING! BUT I SHOULD HAVE ALONG TIME AGO!" Duo yelled back. 

******************************************************************************

That made Chris, Jonathon, and David jump. They could hear that Randy was on the verge of losing it completely. 

******************************************************************************

"I don't believe this! You threatened him didn't you?" Randy said through clenched teeth, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks despite her efforts to hold them back. 

"No more then I did to any other guy," Duo shot back. His heart was pounding. He watched his daughter bite her lips again, holding it back. This was killing him as much as it was killing her. He hated doing this. His anger really did make him irrational and maniacal. 

"Does it matter to you at all, that your taking him away from me and that it will make me terribly unhappy," she said in a low pain filled voice. 

"You'll find someone else that I can approve of," he returned in softer, gentler tone. 

Randy snapped. "I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE! I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM! I LOVE MILES!" Tears came flooding down her cheeks as she turned and ran from the room. She ran up the stairs and past her brothers. She slammed the door and broke down into great gulping sobs as she slid to the floor. 

Chris, Jonathon, and David looked at each other in shock. They listened to their sister's heart wrenching sobs. They remained where they were, waiting to see if anything else would happen. 

******************************************************************************

Duo watched as Randy ran from the room. His mouth open in shock. _"She's in love with Miles? But she's only sixteen." _"Only sixteen," he said softly to himself. 

Hilde said nothing, as she tore a paper towel off the roll and knelt down by the kitchen table. She wiped up the few spots of blood and it threw it away. She took her cup and placed it in the sink. She turned to look at her husband. "I'll say that went rather badly, don't you think?" she asked caustically. 

Duo flinched at the sound of Hilde's voice. He raised his eyes to her. "Did you know this?"

"No. The only thing that I saw of their relationship was handholding and a kiss," she replied as she crossed her arms in front of her. 

"A kiss?" he asked his forehead furrowing. 

"One little kiss Duo and that was all," Hilde replied as she saw the anger flare briefly in his eyes. "You know she was bound to be kissed sometime. She's not a little girl anymore, no matter how much you delude yourself into thinking that she is."

"She's only sixteen," Duo stated as he watched his wife sit down again. 

"But she won't stay there forever either. Duo she'll be an adult in two years. After that there is nothing much we can do. Are you so afraid of losing control over her?"

He didn't answer. "I'm not afraid of losing control over her," he finally said. 

"Could have fooled me," Hilde said sarcastically. "Or you thinking back to when you were her age and chasing after all those girls and sleeping with them. Don't worry Duo, Randy is nothing like those girls you've fooled around with. She's like me. She'll be the one a guy will come home to every night because she is so much more then the others. You and Miles are the same. He might have been with other girls, but he has only come to love one. I saw what he mouthed to her. He loves her Duo. Just like you said you loved me when you came back from fighting Mariemaia and you were so willing to wait until I was ready because you loved me that much," she stated as she got up from her chair. 

"That was a different time, we had to grow up long before we had to," Duo said as he looked away. 

"That's true. You might have not been a virgin at sixteen, but I was. Be glad that she's decided to stay that way even though she acts as brazen and bold as they come," she said with a rueful smile. 

Duo turned to look at her again. "He's too old for her," he said softly. 

"Stop thinking about his age," Hilde said dismissively as her smile turned hard. "At least he's not doing what you did to me at nineteen," she said, as she looked him straight in the eye. "And how did you put it…oh, yes, "I was fucking you till your ears rang," she said as she turned on her heel and went up the steps. 

******************************************************************************

The three boys' eyes widened at those words. They saw their mother come up the stairs and walk past them. They looked at each other with shock, not believing that their dad had said something like that to their mom. 

******************************************************************************

Duo ran up the stairs after her. He noticed his sons standing and sitting there. "Hilde," he called out as he reached her. He stopped as she walked into the master bedroom and shut the door. It opened again and a pillow and a blanket were tossed at him. 

"Until you apologize to me and your daughter, you will be sleeping on the couch until then," Hilde snapped at him as she turned on her heel once again and slammed the door. 

Duo stood there as the windows rattled from the impact of the slam. He knew where he was. He was far up shits creek without a paddle. He saw the light flicker out from beneath the door. He sighed and turned around again. He saw all three sons giving him censorious looks. 

David turned and went into his room, shutting the door behind him. 

Jonathon stood and shut his door behind him as well.

Duo watched Chris turn around and then stop, to look back at him. 

"I hope you can hear Randy crying her heart out," Chris growled as he turned and slammed his door behind him. 

Duo let his head fall back. All three of his son's were overly protective of their sister and their mother. And because he was the one that made them upset, they were mad at him for making them that way. He shut his eyes tight and let out a sigh. He could hear Randy still crying and it tore at him. He walked back down the steps to the family room, flipping the kitchen light off and locking the kitchen door. He dropped his pillow and blanket on the couch and stared at the ceiling. He flicked off the light behind him and put his arms under his head. He didn't fall asleep for a very long time.

__

Author's Note: I know this part was really long, but I wanted to get as much detail in as I could. I am thinking about doing a short POV for Duo as he's lying there on the couch, let me know if you think I should do one or not. Until then, stay tuned! 


	5. A Father's View

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids

_Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!_

_ _

Devil With A Blue Dress On, A Father's View

I lay there staring at the plaster ceiling. I was wishing I were back in my warm bed with Hilde to hold on to. But she had effectively kicked me out of it. I deserved it and I knew it. I was being an ass, I admit that freely. I should have never let those words leave my mouth. I was also being irrational. I hated it when Hilde was right. Not only did I managed to piss my wife off, I had upset my daughter so much that her palms had bled from her nails digging into them, and I had also managed to earn the censor of my sons for upsetting their mother and their sister. I went back to thoughts of my daughter, my little girl. 

I'll start with when Hilde said she was pregnant with her, I already had three sons, and I kind of wanted a girl. All the others had at least one girl, Wufei had two. I wanted a girl who looked like her mother. When the time came for Hilde to have the baby, it was late September. Her pregnancy had been like her other two that I was present for. They went well. But once in the delivery room, it was nothing like the others. It was clear that Hilde was having trouble; one Miranda became breech and couldn't be turned. And two, the labor went on for almost twenty-two hours. Enter emergency caesarian section. I nearly passed out. When the doctor announced that we had a girl, I did pass out. I was overjoyed, but also upset that Hilde had to go through all of that. When I looked at Miranda Elizabeth, I once again looked into my own cobalt eyes. What can one say when you look into the face of your baby girl?

I turned over on the couch and looked outside, the moon was now shining. I went back to my thoughts. 

After Randy's birth, I didn't touch Hilde for several months. I swore I wouldn't get her pregnant again after what happened. And Hilde didn't want to go back to the hospital for any sort of procedure that would prevent her from having any more kids. She stayed on birth control and I started using protection. I remember how disappointed the boys were when they found out their new sibling was a girl. Chris wrinkled his nose in distaste, as did Jonathon. David at two years didn't care either way. Within two weeks, all three of them were in love with her. 

I can still remember Randy at four years old, her ebony hair in pigtails, following me around. She was daddy's girl and I spoiled her rotten. She was also a miniature devil in disguise. Hilde lamented the fact that her daughter in no way was going to be a lady. Randy would sit on the workbench watching me fix the cars, swinging her legs back and forth. She would be wearing an innocent smile that belied her true nature. When she turned six, I was holding her up so she could see under the hood of the Suburban and pointing out the different parts. And she would always ask what was this and what was that. So curious at what everything was.

Randy and school was another thing. She hated the uniform. Hilde had a devil of a time getting her into it. A skirt. My little girl threw a fit when she saw the skirt. She was already on her way to becoming a tomboy. But once in school, she showed a high level of intelligence, even more so then her brothers at her age. She wasn't a genius, but she was probably darn close. 

The clock chimed two. I heard movement from upstairs. I raised my eyes to the ceiling again. It was Chris. I heard him walk down the hall and open Randy's door at the very end of the hall over the garage. An hour passed and I heard him leave her room and go back to his. The house fell silent again. 

I went back to my memories. I knew that Randy wasn't like the other girls of my friends. She was too tomboyish, too competitive. She liked playing with the boys more then the girls. At nine, she could climb trees as well as her brothers and they taught her all the sports they knew. She learned how to play soccer, football, lacrosse, basketball, and street hockey. She indulged in one girlish tradition, dance lessons. She didn't seem to mind the bumps, the bruises that she incurred, but with determination she pushed on until she played as well as them. But she still remained my little girl. She would stand on a footstool so she could look under the hood with me. I started teaching her how to do simple things under the hood. And she would watch with interest, her cobalt eyes watching my fingers. Her hair now hung in a long rope down her back; thick and long like mine. She would wear jeans and one of her brother's old shirts as she watched. 

Clock struck four; I heard more movement from upstairs. This time it was Jonathon. I heard his door open and then Randy's again. Forty minutes later Jonathon left her room and went back to his. 

I sighed and changed my position again. The couch was damn uncomfortable. I could see the light of her smile when she was twelve when Chris taught her how to drive. Hilde nearly had an apoplexy over the entire thing. I yelled at Chris too, but it was purely for my lovely wife's benefit. I remembered how Randy had wrapped her arms around waist as she asked if I thought I could teach her how to drive now. I let out a chuckle. She was impulsive, just like me. By now she was almost as tall as Hilde, no longer having to stand on a footstool while I fixed the cars. She would fiddle with some things herself as I watch, a streak of grease on her cheek, as strands of hair would slip free and dangle against her cheeks. I remembered Hilde and I coming home one night and finding Chris and Jonathon, holding her by her ankles, tormenting her like she would torment them. They were holding her over the banister, halfway up the steps. She had been dangling there with her arms crossed and a look in her eyes that promised retribution once she got free. I made them let her go as I caught her. And as soon as her feet hit the floor, she had zipped up the steps after her two older brothers, who had started running down the hall. 

I chuckled at that memory too. Two teenage boys terrified of their twelve year old sister's wrath. When she was fourteen, she stopped swearing at the sight of a dress. For once Hilde was glad that she wouldn't have to argue over that anymore. She was taller then Hilde now, not quite as slim, but she looked more and more like Hilde each day. I also began to notice how guys started to look at her. I picked her up from school one day and watched as several boys stopped to look at her as she walked down the steps in clothes she had worn to soccer practice. And I wasn't sure if I liked that all that much. Her tomboyish ways still there, not letting go, but adding to the young woman she was becoming. I wasn't sure I liked the idea of her growing up. She was also gifted with being an accomplished flirt. I suppose she picked it up from her brothers, but I knew I had been like that too. I had been a flirt. And a tease, like Hilde said. Randy had every son of all my friends wrapped around her little finger. And she was only fourteen. 

Then came the skirt incident when she was sixteen. She purposely hacked the skirt off above the knees. I remember being called to the school for it. Hilde wasn't too happy because now our daughter had managed to be in the Headmistress's office. I saw Randy sitting in the chair, wearing a bored expression. I almost laughed. She had taken off her green blazer and had unbuttoned several buttons of the crisp white dress shirt she wore. I was grinning ear to ear, listening to Headmistress Conner complain about my daughter's lack of decorum and modesty. Randy snorted at that and I had to choke back my laughter, earning a glare from Hilde and an unreadable expression from the Headmistress. When we left, Hilde was blaming me for our daughter's rebelliousness, and I continued to roll my eyes.Even I would admit the skirt was dog ugly. And when she had flounced down the steps of the school on the way to her car, I had watched even more guys stop to look. I suppose, that was when I realized that didn't even have the body of a little girl anymore. Hilde had been the same way, gaining her curves not until she was sixteen. But she would still loop her arms around my neck and say, "I love you daddy," in the sweetest whisper before she went to bed.

She would work on her own car in the other garage in cutoffs and in one of my old shirts, tied up to reveal her flat stomach. She had no qualms about showing herself off. She had never been modest or shy. She was shockingly blunt and could curse as creatively as her brothers and me. But her cobalt eyes were still filled with innocence even though what came out of her mouth was the complete opposite. 

I looked out the window again. Light was beginning to streak the sky. I sighed again. 

Then it was now. The events that had led up till now. I guess I didn't see it coming when Miles returned home from college with Jonathon. All of a sudden Randy's eyes would follow him around. And to my worst fear, his eyes began to follow her too. And I hated it. I didn't want to see her with him. And with the ability to…I didn't finish that thought.

I didn't want her dating. I had already proved that with the Arquette boy.Then had come the mini war between my family and the others. Randy was more or less the mastermind. She was gifted with it. And she proved to be brilliant when she could outsmart Heero Yuy. I could see her giving me an angelic smile that had been reserved only for me when she was cleaning the basement. She was still my little girl, even if she wasn't that little anymore.

And everything that she had inherited from me came into my mind. She had a temper that matched mine, her eyes, and that devilish little smirk that she constantly wore, and her pride. She had always been a girl who didn't cry in public. Only the privacy of her room did she let it go, even as a little girl. She would bite her lips and clutch her hands into fists, keeping it all inside. She had said that tomboys didn't cry in public. She said that she wasn't granted that luxury like the other daughters. And she didn't. And she was the only one who would openly defy me besides Hilde. Her eyes would grow almost black and like mine they would flash and snap angrily with every word. But last night, last night, she broke. I had seen the tears that she had tried so valiantly to hide. And the blood from her biting her lips and from her nails gouging into her palms. My daughter had found someone else to share that angelic smile that had only been for me. And I was fighting it. I didn't want to face reality like Hilde said I didn't. 

That brought my very angry wife to mind. I'm still not quite sure why said what I did. I was angry, and when my temper got the better of me, I said plenty of things I didn't mean. But that had been the ultimate kicker. And then she had thrown those words back in my face. Hilde could be lethal without saying or doing much. I would probably get on my hands and knees to apologize. She would like it when I groveled since I hadn't done it for a while. It was amazing on how much control she exerted over me over twenty years. I wasn't whipped, but I did everything I could to make her happy. And right now, she was not happy. And as much as I would hate saying it, she was right. I was out of control. And I would also admit that when I looked at Miles, I saw myself. I saw the cocky attitude and the way with the women. I knew what was going on inside his head because I was thinking the same things as him when I was young. And I saw my daughter as another notch on his bedpost like so many girls had been for me until I fell like a rock for Hilde. And I refused to believe that he had innocent intentions. But Randy loved him. And he loved her. What was I supposed to do? I was at a crossroads. I could let her be with him and make her happy or I can forbid it and alienate her? What a choice for a father to make?

I heard the sounds of footsteps on the stairs. I glanced at my watch. It was seven thirty. It would be Hilde coming down to start breakfast like she always did on a Sunday morning. I sat up on the couch and stretched my cramped muscles. I knew what I had to do. And with a great sigh, knowing she still would be pissed, I went into the kitchen to play penitent for my wife. 

**_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this part. I wanted to give a little insight into Duo's memories and why he acted the way he did. The next part will be coming soon, so stay tuned!_******


	6. Sunday, Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 6

Hilde sighed and started the coffee. She didn't hear any movement from the family room, where Duo was sleeping. She leaned her elbows on the counter and stared out the kitchen window. She heard movement and turned around to see Duo, standing there with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His shirt was wrinkled and half unbuttoned. She said nothing and turned away from him again. 

Duo watched her. He had seen the dark circles under her eyes and they also looked suspiciously red rimmed, like she had been crying. She was wearing a long white nightgown that went down to her ankles. It was sleeveless. He took a deep breath and went over to her. He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. He felt her stiffen under his touch. "Babe, would you look at me?" he asked gently. 

She turned around to look at him. She didn't meet his eyes though. She crossed her arms in front of her and waited.

He hesitated for a moment because she was avoiding his eyes. Her arms were crossed in front of her and reading her body language he took a step back, but his hands didn't leave her shoulders. "I'm not going to ask you if you're still mad at me, because I know you still are. All I want you to do is listen to what I have to say. Ok?"

Hilde looked at him for a moment. She nodded her head. 

Duo took a deep breath. "What I said to you last night, I had absolutely no right to say. It was crude and hurtful. You didn't deserve it. And I wholeheartedly deserved the slap you landed on me. You had every right to do what you did," he said slowly, watching for any reaction from her. She gave none. "And I will admit that you were right. I was out of control. I was acting maniacal over something I had no control over. And as much as I will hate to admit it, you were right. I'm afraid of losing control of Randy. But I can't help it, she's my daughter, and no matter what, she will always be my little girl, no matter how old she is. But I also can't stop her from growing up. And I can't exactly stop her from dating guys, but I also didn't want her to end up with someone that's like what I once was. I don't want her make the mistake of loving someone that only wants her in bed. And I didn't want her to end up like you before we were married."

She raised her brows. She would admit that he was doing a hell of a job of groveling. "Is that all?" she asked. 

He sighed. He got down on his knees in front of her. "I wished I could take back those words and I haven't quite forgiven myself for even saying them. But can you forgive me for being a total and complete asshole?" he asked raising his eyes to hers.

"Just an asshole?" Hilde asked staring down at him. 

"All right. A complete maniacal asshole, who sure as hell doesn't deserve a woman like you. Hell, some times I ask myself why you love me so much because I don't know what I did in the first place to earn your love and trust when you could have done so much better then me. And I was not much better then Miles. I was a skirt chaser, but you still loved me," Duo said as glanced away from her. "And I will do anything to make up for what I said to earn my place back in our bed and in your good graces. Please baby, I love you," he said as he looked back imploringly into her eyes. 

She tilted her head to one side and regarded him. She knew he was sincere or else he wouldn't be down on his knees. He always threw in "I love you," for good measure. She knelt down in front of him, so her eyes were level with his. "What you said was extremely hurtful and you were lucky I didn't throw you out of the house for it. But I know how irrational you get when you lose your temper. And your apology was sincere and I believe you wholeheartedly that you're sorry. And once and only once, I will go easy and forgive you. But if you ever say something like that to me again," she said softly, leaning close, "I will throw you out of the house, got that mister."

Duo nodded emphatically. "Yes, babe."

"Oh and what I said last night still stands, until you apologize to our daughter, you will be sleeping on the couch," Hilde said as she stood. 

"Whatever you say," he replied as with a slight grin on his lips, he hooked his arms behind her legs and pulled her down onto his lap. "Do I get to kiss you, or is that off limits too until I apologize to Randy?" he asked, throwing in his puppy dogface for good measure. 

Hilde's lips quirked into a slight smile. "You were always a smooth talked Duo Maxwell. But I suppose a kiss is allowed. And only **a** kiss," she said levelly. 

"Sure babe," Duo said as he leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly, but couldn't resist stealing another one.

She pulled away. "I said **a** kiss, not two," she said as she put her hands on her hips. 

He grinned at her innocently. "But you're so tempting, it's hard to take just one."

Hilde sighed and rolled her eyes. "What in the world am I going to do with you?"

******************************************************************************

Randy sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes felt itchy and raw from crying and her palms and her lips were sore. She glanced down at her hands. Chris had come in her room earlier this morning and had carefully cleaned and wrapped her hands in bandages. She had cried against him, just like she had cried against Jonathon when he came into her room sometime later. She had rarely let her brothers see her cry. With her, it was a pride thing. She would even try to hide her tears from her parents, but they seemed to understand. Her father did. She was blessed/cursed with the same stubborn pride as he was. But last night. Last night was something that she never wanted to remember. _"Miles. Poor Miles. What am I going to do without him? Why did I fall for him? Dad would have approved of his cousins Damien and Vaughn. Why not him? Hell, he would even approved of Donavon, and he's Miles's younger brother. **You do what your heart tells you and it told you Miles Barton. You can't change that. **I know, but it hurts so much. Miles will be too afraid of dad now. He really won't come near me again after last night. It felt so good being in his arms."_ There was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said hoarsely. Her voice almost gone from endless crying. 

"Hey little devil," David said as he came in. He looked at his baby sister. Her silky hair was in a wild tangle and her face was all puffy. Her eyes were bloodshot and dark circles marred her smooth pale skin. He glanced down at her hands, wrapped in white. That had only happened once before, when she broke her leg playing basketball. She had kept her pain inside, and it had manifested by her digging her nails into her palms. He sat down beside her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close, so her cheek was pressed against his chest. "You feeling any better?" he asked gently. 

She glanced up at him. "A little," she replied faintly as she pressed her cheek against the comforting warmth of her brother's tee shirt. She closed her eyes again. "Today's Sunday, isn't it?"

"Yup, which means Church. And a tie for me," he replied, grimacing at the thought of a tie. "You should stay home. Mom will understand. I'm sure," he said his jaw tightening, "dad will understand too."

Randy could hear the tone of anger in her brother's voice when he mentioned her father. All three of her brothers were almost as protective of her as their dad was. But when someone hurt her in any way, they would make sure there would be hell to pay. And now, it was directed at their dad. "No. I'll go to Church. I'm ok to go," she said, her pride coming to the surface.

"Are you sure?" David asked, hearing the slight edge to her voice. "Because it will be ok if you don't."

"I'm sure. I'm going," she answered, her jaw set and determination flared in her cobalt eyes. 

"Can't stop you from anything, can we?" Chris drawled with a slight grin as he poked his head in the door. 

"Not usually," Randy replied, flashing him a wavering smile. 

"Nah, too much like the rest of us," Jonathon said as he pushed Chris into the room. "Too mule headed."

"How you feeling, little devil?" Chris asked as he knelt down in front of her. 

"Fine as one can be," she replied as she tugged on his braid playfully. 

"That's a girl," Jonathon chuckled as he rumpled her hair and sat down next to her. 

"How about something to eat? Are you hungry?" Chris asked as he searched her eyes. 

Randy shook her head. "No, not really."

"You should eat something," Chris countered, noting the set of her jaw. 

"I'm not really hungry Chris," she replied again, narrowing her eyes the tiniest bit. 

Chris sighed. "I won't take no for an answer. You'll eat something even if I have to sit here and make you."

Jonathon and David chuckled at that. Randy shot him a dirty look. 

"Now that's a girl," Chris laughed as he saw the fire come back into her eyes. He stood. "So you want to eat downstairs?"

She shook her head. "No, I just…I don't want to look at dad yet," she sighed as she twisted a ring around her index finger on her left hand. 

"Understandable," Jonathon quipped as he rubbed her shoulder. He knew she hadn't been the only one crying last night. When he had left her room, he had heard his mother crying too. He had stood outside her door, unsure of what to do. Usually when his dad and his mom fought, and she would get all upset, it was best to leave her alone. But last night had been a little different. The words that she had snapped back at his dad, the ones that he had said to her, rang in his ears. And she had punished his dad by kicking him out of the bedroom. But he was sure that his dad would be on his hands and knees groveling as soon as his temper came back down. "Come on, the rest of us have to eat breakfast and get ready to go to Church," he said as he stood. "And wear a tie," he said, making a face. 

Randy quirked a smile at her brother. "You make it sound so evil," she said with a slight smirk. 

"They are," Chris said, shaking his head. He glanced back her hands. When he had come in that morning, she had been sprawled across the bed, with her hands outstretched over the floor. They had dried blood on them for she hadn't bothered to take care of them. So he had cleaned them and wrapped them for her. And he had gently dabbed her lips with a cloth, to clean the bite mark on her lower lip. Then he had held her and she had cried in dry racking sobs, unable to produce anymore tears. He had stayed until she fell asleep again. He had heard his mother crying too, but he had left it alone. He felt a sharp stab of anger for what his dad had said to her. "Come on, let's go eat," he said to his brothers. He pressed a kiss on top of Randy's hair. "I'll bring something up for you, all right," he said as he opened the door. 

"Right," Randy said as she watched her brother's leave the room. She curled up on her side once the door was closed. She let the last few tears that she had hid from her brothers fall. _"Oh Miles."_

******************************************************************************

The three boys went down the backstairs to the kitchen. They could see their dad and their mom, sitting on the floor. Their dad was holding her tight, his face against her neck. 

"Morning mom," Chris said as he opened the pantry. He cast a narrowed look at his dad and smiled for his mom. 

"Morning dear," Hilde said as she struggled to get out of Duo's tight grasp. She had seen the glare her son had passed towards his father. All her son's had always been partial to her, especially when her and Duo would fight. Which wasn't very often, but they always took her side in any case. "What do you want for breakfast?" she asked as she wiped her hands on her nightgown. 

"That's all right mom, we can find something for ourselves to eat this morning," said Jonathon as ha snagged the last bagel away from David. 

"Are you sure?" Hilde asked as she glanced over at him. 

"We're sure," David replied as he glared at Jonathon for taking the last bagel. He pulled out a box of cereal instead. 

Duo could see the looks his sons were passing his way. They were upset with him. He stood and leaned against the counter. He noticed the absence of Randy. "Where's your sister?" he asked softly. He raised his eyes to look at them. 

Jonathon, Chris, and David glanced at each other before Chris spoke. "She's upstairs. She didn't want to come down yet," he replied archly as he raised a brow at his father. 

"I see," Duo said as he crossed his arms. 

"She doesn't have to come to Church today," Hilde said as she bustled around the kitchen, fixing breakfast for her and Duo. 

"She said she was coming," David replied as he sat down at the table. "Randy said she would be ok to do so."

Duo had to let a slight smile cross his lips. His daughter had backbone. She never let anything get in her way. So prideful. So much spirit and determination just like Hilde. He glanced over at his wife. She was making bacon and eggs for herself and him. Breakfast was relatively quiet for once. He kept on glancing over at Randy's empty chair. His boys kept on sending him looks. And Hilde was silent as she ate, looking at the other half of the paper. "I know the three of you are mad at me," he stated as he leaned back in his chair. 

The other three men at the table stopped their eating and glanced at their dad. 

"I know what you heard what I said to your mother too. And I did apologize," Duo said as he looked into the faces of each of his sons. 

"More like groveled," Hilde said cheekily as she looked over the top of the paper. 

"All right, groveled. And I'm very sorry for upsetting her and your sister last night. So you can stop sending me those looks like you want to throw me out to the sharks," Duo said with a wry grin. 

Chris, Jonathon, and David looked at each other and back at him. "We'll think about it," Chris said as he pushed away from the table. He put his cereal bowl in the dishwasher. He went to the pantry and pulled out the cereal that Randy preferred. He quickly made the breakfast and set it on a tray.

"Is that for Randy?" Hilde asked as she watched him. 

"Yeah. I'm making her eat it against her will too," Chris replied with a grin. He went up the stairs. 

Duo looked after him. "She didn't eat anything last night or yesterday afternoon did she?" 

"No, that's why it's good that Chris is making her eat," Hilde said as she folded the paper and set it down. "All right, you two, get ready for Church. And I don't want to see either of you missing a tie, got that?" she asked as she looked at her sons. 

"We know," David and Jonathon replied a little sullenly as they cleaned up after themselves and headed back upstairs. 

"And that means you too mister," Hilde said as she leveled a look at Duo. 

"I know, I know," Duo sighed. "Damn tie. I'd do anything to make you happy," he muttered as he gazed back at her.

"That's good to hear," Hilde said sweetly as she got up out of her chair. She pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Now, hurry up, I don't want you hogging the shower," she said as she pushed him lightly with her hands. 

"Yeah, yeah," Duo said as he got up and handed her his plate. He watched as she leaned over and put the plates in the dishwasher and not being able to resist, landed a playful swat on her backside before he went whistling up the stairs, grinning ear to ear as his wife sent him an indignant expression. 

"Men," Hilde said with exasperation as she cleaned up the rest of breakfast and went upstairs to get ready. 

******************************************************************************

Randy sighed as she placed the tray back on her bedside table. She hadn't needed Chris to make her eat. She made herself eat. And now she carefully brushed out the knots in her midnight hair until it hung in a smooth cascade down to the middle of her back. She observed her reflection in her bathroom mirror. Her face was pale beneath her light tan and she had almost used an entire tube of concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes. She fingered the gold cross around her neck as she turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. She sighed, wincing a little since she had scraped off any scabs off her lips. She covered the bruise marks with lipstick. She picked up her small handbag and left her room, taking her tray with her and putting it back in the kitchen. She leaned against the deck doors in the family room and silently stared out of the windows. 

Duo came back downstairs first. He walked through the kitchen and stopped when he saw Randy sitting in the family room. He watched her silently, her slim form draped in an all black dress that went down to her ankles. Her hair was left hanging down her back. She almost looked like death itself when she turned around. He watched as her eyes darkened for a moment and her bandaged hands clench and then forcibly relax. He didn't say anything, just watched her as she gave him her back again, her hair swinging with her. 

She closed her eyes as she turned around again to look out. She glanced down at her hands, trying to keep them from forming into fists. She could still feel her dad's presence in the room. She took a deep breath and put her palms flat on the smooth glass. She could hear the sounds of her brothers coming down the stairs and her mother, calling them to make sure they had their ties. She smiled ruefully. 

Chris walked towards the family room and stopped, only to have Jonathon and David plow into his back. "Why don't you two watch where you're going?" he hissed over his shoulder. 

"Then don't stop in the middle of the room baka!" Jonathon hissed back as he straightened his blue green tie. 

"Why did you stop?" David asked as he moved from behind Chris. He saw his dad leaning against the wall, watching Randy look out the deck windows, her hands flat on the glass. "Oh."

Duo heard his sons behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at them, is your mom ready?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm ready," Hilde replied as she came down the steps wearing a simple silk sheath of royal blue. The strand of pearls that Duo had given her for her eighteenth birthday was around her neck. Her heeled sandals clicked on the kitchen floor as she went over to Duo. "Are you ready?" She saw him nod. She saw Randy standing with her back to them. "Are you ready to go darling?" she asked gently. 

"Yes mom," Randy said softly as she turned and walked past them. Her dress parted the middle to her knees. Every time she took a step, one could see her slender legs. Her sandals crisscrossed around her ankles and made whispering sounds as they walked across the kitchen tile. 

The boys cast a look at their dad before following her out to the garage. 

Hilde looked after her daughter. She was worried. Her daughter had looked absolutely miserable. She had noted the bandages on her hands, obviously covering the wounds that were incurred last night. She felt Duo slip his hand into hers and squeeze reassuringly. She glanced up at him. 

"Don't worry babe, our little devil won't break down in front of us. She's way too strong," Duo said as he looked into Hilde's worried features. He took his keys off the hook next to the door and they followed the kids out to the Suburban in the garage. 

Randy waited as her dad unlocked the doors before she slid into the back seat. Her eyes lowered to her lap. She raised her eyes to the front seat where her dad was helping her mom in. _"Miles probably sat there last night, knowing that my dad's wrath would come crashing down on his head." _She didn't realize her hands had balled into fists again until she felt someone's hands gently prying her hands apart. She looked up into Chris's eyes and saw him shake his head. "I know," she whispered as she felt him slide his hand into hers, so she wouldn't fist it. 

Chris looked at his sister. She was silent since she had come downstairs. He felt eyes on him and saw that their dad was looking at him in the review mirror with his brow raised with concern. He softened his expression a little towards his dad and shook his head slightly.

Duo nodded as he pulled out of the garage. He could see Randy staring out the window. His heart ached for her because she was like this because it was him who hurt her so badly. 

Randy could feel her dad's eyes on her. She lowered her eyes to her lap again; noticing how some blood had soaked through the gauze. She frowned a little. She looked up and saw her dad's eyes on her as he drove to the Church. Her eyes skittered away and returned to the peaceful scenery outside the window as they drove into the small city for Church. _"Miles, please be ok."_

Author's Note: Here's the next part, so what did you think? Next part will be from the Bartons home that same morning. So stay tuned for more coming soon!


	7. Sunday, Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 6b

Miles rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling. He felt an aching heaviness inside his chest. _"Randy." _ He closed his eyes again. He had not slept well at all. The sheets were twisted about his hips in a tangle. All he could see when he closed his eyes were Randy's fear filled ones for him and the cold icy ones of her very angry dad. In a way, he would blame him. He had a right to at least flip out; he was a dad after all. He smiled ruefully. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he called as he turned his head to look at the door. He saw his baby sister poke her head in.

"Morning," Isabella said as she walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. She noted the bloodshot look of his eyes. "You didn't sleep well last night did you?" she asked in that lilting voice of hers. 

He smiled at her. She was a carbon copy of their mother. That blond prettiness that guys wouldn't be able to resist once she reached maturity. "No, I didn't sleep well," he admitted as he grasped onto her delicate hand. His emerald eyes met her blue-gray ones and fell away. 

"I could hear you tossing and turning throughout the night," she said softly as she watched him. Her room was the one next to his. 

"Did I keep you awake?" Miles asked in a light voice. 

"No," Isabella replied as she studied him. "You couldn't sleep because something happened last night with Randy, right?" she asked. 

He looked at his thirteen-year-old sister with surprise. She always knew more then she let on. He sat up and tilted his head to one side. She was looking at him levelly. "Yes, it had something to do with Randy," he replied as he looked down at his hand holding hers. 

"I thought so," she answered as she reached out and brushed back his tousled hair. "I could've told you that you were playing with fire when you set your sights on her. But you got mom's nerve of doing weird things for the one you love," she said wryly as she blew back a stray curl that dangled in her face. 

"I like playing with fire," Miles said with a slight grin. 

"You would. No wonder you and Randy are a perfect match for each other. She does things for the hell of it too. She's the only person I know whose openly defies the Headmistress."

"Sounds like her all right," he chuckled thinking of the whole skirt incident she had told him about. His lips turned to a frown. "But I won't get to go near her now."

"Don't worry Miles. You'll find a way," she said reassuringly as she squeezed his hand. "Now do you want breakfast?" she asked.

"I guess," Miles said a little uncertainly. "Go on down, I'll be there in a minute," he said as he gave her hand a slight squeeze. 

"All right," Isabella said as she stood. She looked over her shoulder as she left the room. She had never seen him look so dejected before. Especially over a girl. But she supposed Randy wasn't just any girl. She was a Maxwell for one. But the problem was, she was only three years older then herself and she was the same age as Carin. Her brother was playing with fire and he just got burned. 

Miles swung his legs over the side of the bed. His insides twisted into knots at the mention of food, but he knew he had to eat. He closed his eyes and let his head fall forward into his hands. He didn't know how he was going to make it through the day. And today was Sunday. He could avoid Church if he wanted, but he wouldn't be able to avoid the Sunday dinner, in which he was sure he would see Randy and her dad. He knew he had been playing with fire, he had been daring it to blow up in his face. "Boy did it ever," he muttered. He knew right then, he couldn't avoid Church. Randy wouldn't. So neither would he. And he knew that his dad was going to talk to Duo. And to him, that just didn't seem like a good idea. 

******************************************************************************

Downstairs, Trowa was reading the paper as he ate his breakfast. He watched Middi out of the corner of his eye as she made a plate for Isabella as she came into the kitchen. His youngest sat down at the table as she put the plate of scrambled eggs and hot buttered toast in front of her. He observed his youngest. She was the image of her mother. His eyes went to Carin, with her strawberry blond hair and blue green eyes; she was a definite mixture of him and Middi. His other son, Donavon had the russet hair, but his eyes were more of a gray green. He went back to Isabella. "Miles up yet?" he asked. 

Isabella looked up from her plate at her dad's question. "He's awake and he looks awful," she replied bluntly.

"No one taught you tact did they?" Donavon pointed out as he looked up at her.

"Nope, learned that from you," Isabella said as she stuck her tongue out at him. 

"Is he coming down to breakfast?" asked Middi as she sat down at the table. 

"He said he would," Isabella said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know if he'll eat anything though. He looks like hell froze over."

"Thank you so much," Miles replied sarcastically as he came into the kitchen. He sat down at the table. 

"Izzy was right, you do look like hell," said Carin as she sat across from him. 

"Will you be quiet Carin, your voice is grating," Miles, said as he glared at her through his fingers. 

Carin glared back, but said nothing. 

"Do you want to eat love?" Middi asked as she placed a hand on his arm. 

"Yeah, I'll eat," Miles replied as he glanced at his mom. She was wearing a soft smile. 

"That's good," Middi said as she stood and fixed him a plate before setting it down in front of him. 

"You shouldn't of put so much mom, I don't know if I'll be able to eat it all," Miles protested weakly as he looked at the eggs piled on his plate. 

"What, the bottomless pit isn't hungry for once?" Donavon smirked.

"Shut up Donavon," Miles growled. "I'm in no mood, not unless you want me to beat the hell out of you."

"That's enough," Trowa said as his two sons glared at each other from across the table. He looked at Miles. He would admit that his two daughters were right. Miles did look like hell. "Do you want to go to Church today, you don't have to," he said.

"No, I'll go. I'm up to it," Miles said as his jaw set with determination. 

"After Church, I'll have a little "talk" with Duo," Trowa said as he put down the paper. 

"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, have you seen Death truly pissed," Miles said as he looked at his dad. 

"Yes, I've seen Death truly pissed. And I know how to handle it. Don't worry about it," Trowa said dismissively. 

Middi watched her husband get up from the table then. Her eyes fell on her oldest. The lines of fatigue were unmistakable on his tanned face. She looked at the other three finishing up their breakfasts. "Don't linger over it. When you're finished go up and get ready for Church," she ordered as she cast a stern look at them, knowing they would do anything to get out of going. As soon as they cleared the kitchen, she was left alone with Miles, who ate slowly, taking a minute to swallow each mouthful. "If you're not that hungry, you don't have to eat it all," she said gently. 

Miles looked up at his mom. "I know, but I want to eat as much as I can," he replied as he took a bite of toast. 

She sighed as she got up from the table. She pressed a kiss on his hair as she went by as she started clearing up the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder a few times, observing him. She smiled sadly. Her son was in love, but there was a rather large and intimidating roadblock in his path that went by the name of Duo Maxwell. 

He knew that his mother was looking over at him from time to time. He knew that she was worried about him. He forced himself to eat another forkful of eggs and another slice of toast before getting up and handing the plate to his waiting mother. "That's all I can eat," he said as he looked down at her. 

"That's all right love, just go on up and get ready for Church," Middi said with a reassuring smile. 

"Ok," Miles said as he gave her a weak smile and headed towards the steps. He hunched his shoulders a little at the thought of going. He knew he didn't have to and his parents wouldn't make him if he didn't want to, but like his father, he possessed a great deal of pride. He supposed all the kids of the former Gundam pilots possessed some degree of pride. 

She dried her hands on the dishtowel as she watched him leave the kitchen. She saw that cringing motion of his shoulders. He was so much like Trowa in some ways. "It'll work out Miles. Don't worry," she whispered as she too headed upstairs to get ready. 

******************************************************************************

Trowa knotted his tie and watched his wife as she frowned into the mirror. He went over to her and placed his hands on her slim shoulders. "Stop worrying, it's not good for you," he whispered as he looked into her eyes via the mirror. 

Middi smiled ruefully in response. "I know," she said as she placed her hands over both of his. "But this is Miles. Things like this don't happen to him. He's never had this problem before."

"He's never dated a girl that's three years younger then him either. And I might those other girls were not daughters of close friends. And Duo is one of them that you don't want to piss off, especially when it comes to Randy," he said as he gently massaged her shoulders. 

"I don't understand, I mean, you don't act like this when Carin dates guys," she said as she frowned even more. 

"Because Carin is so unlike Randy. Carin for the most part has been an angel. Randy on the other hand, was and always will be a little devil. She has too much of her father in her to be an angel," Trowa said with a wry smile. He could still see Middi frowning. He sighed and turned her around to face him as he knelt down in front of her. "Miles will be all right. If he's anything like me, he'll be fine. And Duo, well, he's just being his hotheaded and impulsive self. He's always been like that. And like I said, where his daughter is concerned, you don't mess around with her or else you'll be looking for your name on a headstone."

"That makes me feel a whole lot better," Middi said sarcastically as she looked at him. 

"I'll take care of Duo. He won't put Miles into an early grave. He'd have to go through me first," he said as he pressed his forehead against hers. 

"You're aren't going to start a fight with him are you?" she asked as she stared into his emerald eyes. 

"No, I won't start a fight with him. I'll just have a "talk" with him," Trowa said as he pressed a light kiss on her lips. "Now hurry up and finish getting ready," he said as he stood. "I'll be waiting downstairs for you."

"Right," Middi said as she watched him leave their room. She sighed and turned to look into he vanity mirror once again. She twisted her platinum blond hair up into a sleek chignon, securing it with pins and hairspray. She was a little leery of Trowa "talking" to Duo. She didn't think that Duo would be in the right frame of mind after last night and she was nervous that this was going to do more harm then good. She finished sliding her pearl earrings on and stood. She grabbed her purse that went with the dove gray suit she was wearing and went downstairs. 

******************************************************************************

Miles stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror. There was a definite pallor under his bronzed skin and his green eyes weren't as bright as they normally were. He flipped down the collar of his green shirt, not bothering with a tie. He was not looking forward to seeing Duo at all. The mere thought made his stomach churn. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves. He would have to get through Church and Sunday dinner that was taking place at his cousins' house tonight. "Well time to go and face hell," he muttered as he left his room and plodded down the steps. He noticed that the rest of his family was already there, waiting silently. 

Donavon raised a brow at his older brother. He knew that Randy was the cause of it. He didn't blame Miles for being attracted to her. Randy Maxwell was a beautiful girl. Hell even he would admit that he was attracted to her. But he had settled to being one of her close friends. He had taken ballroom dancing with her and she was a wonderful dancer. His brother was one lucky bastard. "So, are you ready to go?" he asked with a slight grin. 

Miles eyed his seventeen-year-old brother. He would be deliberately provoking to make him snap out of his moods. He would usually retaliate by trying to choke him. "I warned you before, tick me off and I will beat the hell out of you," he replied stiffly as he walked past him. 

"Suuuure," Donavon drawled as he followed him out the door. He grinned at his two sisters as he walked past.

Carin rolled her eyes at her other brother. "Baka," she muttered under her breath as she followed him. She caught up with him and pulled him back. "What are you trying to do, kill yourself?" she hissed into his ear. 

Donavon stopped to look at his sister. "No, but it makes him feel better if he concentrates on wanting to beat the crap out of me, then thinking of his current problem with Randy," he answered as he chucked her under her chin and got into the family van. 

"Men," Carin mumbled as she climbed in after him. She looked at Miles sitting in one of the bucket seats, staring out the window. Her heart went out to him. She should've told him about what happened to guys when they attempted to date Randy. It would be a nightmare. Whereas she herself had been on plenty of dates, Randy had been on very, very few. And all because once she brought them home, her dad and her three older brothers would be intimidating to the guys, and they would never go out with her again. And she knew Randy well enough to know that, she didn't care too much about that. She had to smile at what the other girl had told her one-day, "I want a guy that's strong enough not to be intimidated by my dad and my brothers. I want him to be able to keep on coming back no matter how much it might scare the hell out of him. Then and only then will I be happy." Carin sighed. Her brother might be that guy, but with Duo standing in the way. It would be damn near impossible to get to her. 

Miles closed his eyes briefly as he stared out the window. He could hear the hushed voices of Carin and Donavon, sniping at each other back and forth. He glanced over at Isabella, who was sitting in the other bucket seat across from him. She gave him an angel like smile and reached her hand over to his. He felt her cool touch on his hand, threading her fingers through his. He smiled back at her thankfully. For some reason, she was the sibling that seemed to understand him the most. She was more thoughtful then Carin, but just as blunt as Donavon. And she wasn't provoking like Donavon. He looked back out the window again. He closed his eyes and thought of Randy, her midnight hair and those laughing cobalt eyes, and a body to kill for. And that breathtaking smile of hers that would make his heart pound. _"I hope you fared better then me Randy. I hope your dad wasn't too hard on you." _

Trowa watched his son in the review mirror. He could only guess what was going through his head. He would have to admit that it was odd seeing his son goes for someone like Randy Maxwell. One, she was sixteen. Two, she was nothing like the girls that Miles dated regularly. And three, her dad was Duo Maxwell. He frowned a little. He would have to speak to Duo about threatening his son with death. It didn't sit too well with him. He navigated the narrow streets of the city, still thinking about what he was going to say to the tall American. 

Middi watched Trowa and the slight expressions that crossed his face. He was still not one to show too much emotion, even when his hair didn't hide his face anymore. The shortened bang still hung just over his eye. She supposed that was something he couldn't get rid of. She secretly prayed that there wouldn't be any bloodshed. She had seen Duo's temper once and it was something she didn't want to see. She bowed her head as they pulled into the cobbled parking lot. _"Please let this go well."_

Author's Note: Hoped you liked that part! Next will be during and after Church and I'll even throw in the Sunday dinner at the Winner residence. And it's sure to be a doozy, so stay tuned! 


	8. Sunday, Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 7

Duo and Hilde walked silently into the Church, his hand riding the small of her back as they walked down the aisle. Duo watched as his oldest sat down in the pew next to Victoria and the other Yuys. He let Randy in next, and then followed her in. He felt Hilde give him a strange look as she sat down next to him, while Jonathon and David followed her. He glanced at Randy out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting with her hands clasped on her lap. His eyes fell on the ring on her right hand and couldn't help let a rueful smile cross his lips. It was a chastity ring. _"You were an idiot to think that they did anything. She's wearing that ring isn't she! You remember when she made that promise here in this Church two years ago. She promised to remain a virgin until she married. **And I overreacted as usual because I jumped to conclusions! You're right, you're an idiot! **Hey! Stop the name-calling! I know that already! **So what are you going to do about it? You heard Hilde; you have to apologize to Randy before you can sleep in the bed again and not on the couch. **Yeah, yeah, I know." _ He slid his hand into Hilde's, grasping her fingers lightly. 

Randy could feel her dad's warmth as he sat next to her. She really didn't want to acknowledge his presence, but it was kind of hard to ignore. She glanced at Chris who was holding Victoria's hand next to her. She sighed and looked back down at her lap. Her palms felt sore and no more blood had seeped through the white bandages. She wondered if Miles would come to Church today, not blaming him if he didn't. She looked out of the corner of her eye at her dad, who was looking at her hands. Her own eyes fell on the gold etched band on her left index finger. Her chastity ring. _"Maybe now dad realizes we didn't do anything at all. I always keep my promises. I may be a "bad" girl, but I really am still a "good" girl." _

Hilde watched Duo, watch Randy. She could see the concern in his eyes when they fell on her bandaged hands. She knew he felt guilty for that, but she knew that Randy should let her tears out more often instead of causing herself pain like that, but she knew she wouldn't. Too much like Duo in that respect. His nightmares haunted him for quite awhile and he would force back the tears that she knew were under the surface. But even as strong as he was, the tears finally fell one night and he had cried for what seemed like hours against her chest. And she had held him so very tight; murmuring soothing words to him as his hot tears had soaked her shirt. But she was the only one who saw that side of him, that more vulnerable side. She smiled softly. _"Like father, like daughter."_

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Miles walked behind his parents up the steps of the Church. His stomach churned at the thought of looking at Duo again. His eyes lifted to his parents again. He watched how his dad's hand rested on his mom's back as she walked. He smiled ruefully when he thought that he would never get to walk that way with Randy again. Duo would kill him first. As they walked in, his eyes fell on the Maxwells, sitting with the Yuys in the third pew from the front. He followed his family into the sixth pew back. He could see Randy's bowed head, her shiny raven hair hanging like a cloak down her back. His heart ached. _"Randy."_

Randy turned around when she felt eyes on her. She turned around and her eyes fell on Miles and his family. She closed her eyes briefly before turning around again, but her dad had already turned to look as well. 

Duo's eyes fell on Miles, who looked just as miserable as Randy. His eyes went to Trowa, whose eyes were narrowed on him with intensity. He turned around again. _"Yup, look likes Trowa is good and pissed. Just what I need."_ He turned around again, feeling the glare that Trowa was sending him. _"Man, doesn't he know how irrational a father can be when you have a teenage daughter that's old enough to date. Heero went ballistic with Victoria and Chris. That goes to prove that even he's irrational when it comes to his girls." _

Hilde glanced back briefly at the Bartons. Her eyes fell on Miles. He was looking at Randy. She smiled sadly. He looked almost as miserable as her daughter. Her eyes collided with Middi's, whose were looking at her. She sent her a sad smile as well. Hilde turned around again and glanced at Duo. His eyes were straight forward, trying not to notice the looks that Trowa was sending him. 

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Donavon observed the whole thing, his eyes shifting from Randy to Miles to his dad and then to Duo. He did not like to think what was going to happen after Church. His dad rarely lost his temper, but when he did, it was wise to run very fast. His heart went out to Randy. _"I wish I could do something for you baby girl."_

Trowa fisted his hands as he watched Duo turn around again and look at him. He narrowed them at him. He wanted to strangle him for threatening his son. He felt his wife clutch his hand. He looked at her and his expression softened the tiniest bit. He squeezed her hand and faced forward again, trying to pay attention to the service and not on throttling Duo.

Middi was justifiably worried now. She had seen the looks that her husband was sending Duo. And by Duo's looks, he knew what was coming. She had seen the worry in Hilde's eyes as well. She looked over at Randy. The girl's head was bowed, her silky hair hanging down her back in a cascade. She had seen her face when she had turned around to look and she looked even more upset then Miles. _"Poor girl."_

******************************************************************************

The hour-long service soon ended and once out in the parking lot, things were just about to break loose.

Duo leaned against a tree as he watched Trowa approaching him. _"Five to one, he wants to beat the shit out of me." _

Trowa walked towards Duo. "Maxwell, you and I are going to have a little "talk."

"Is that so?" Duo asked calmly as he leaned away from the tree. Trowa was now in front of him, glaring at him directly. 

"You have a lot of nerve Maxwell! Where the hell do you get off threatening my son!" Trowa hissed. 

"Your very undressed son was holding my very undressed sixteen year old daughter!" Duo hissed back.

"That gives you no right to threaten him!" Trowa snapped.

"I have every right! I'm a father and so are you! My wife, who I am still playing pentient for, already bitched at me! I don't need you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do! Let me ask you this, if it was your undressed daughter in the arms of an undressed guy, what would you do?" Duo growled. 

Trowa balled his hand into a fist. "This isn't about me!"

"Answer the damn question!" Duo shot back.

"Well I know I wouldn't go around threatening to kill him!" Trowa yelled. 

"Bullshit and you know it! I know you're just as protective of your daughters as I am of mine," Duo replied with a glare. 

******************************************************************************

Randy watched, her eyes bouncing back and forth between her dad and Trowa. She closed her eyes and then felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes and glanced up at Donavon. "Hi," she said faintly. 

"Hey, it'll be all right baby girl," Donavon said as he rested his chin on top of her head. He hugged her tight. He had noticed the bandages. He also knew why she had them. 

Miles watched his brother hug Randy. He smiled sadly. _"He would be so much better for her then me. He doesn't have that reputation for being a skirt chaser and he's only a year older then her. And Duo has never objected to him like he does me." _His eyes went to Duo and his dad. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. To him, it didn't look like the conversation was going well. Both of them were gesturing angrily and the tone of their voices clearly meant that they were both extremely ticked. He felt his mother slip her arm around him. "Thanks mom," he said as he looked down at her. 

"It's all right Miles. Hopefully your father won't actually try to beat the daylights out of Duo," Middi said as she squeezed his hand reassuringly. She looked over to where her husband and Duo were still having their "talk" although by now it was almost a shouting match.

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"You're a hothead, you know that!" Trowa shouted at Duo. 

"Oh yeah, I'm a hothead!" Duo shouted sarcastically. "Well when Carin or Isabella date skirt chasers, you'll see how you feel!"

"That wouldn't be a problem because my daughters don't attract guys like that! Yours does! I think Randy is a nice girl, but she attracts all the guys that you don't want her to date!"

"Don't forget Barton, you weren't that much different then me before you fell in love and got married! You liked dating the ladies just as much as I did! And your son isn't that much different then you!"

"I could say the same thing for all three of your sons! They're all just as bad as you! Didn't Heero dislocate Chris's arm for sleeping with Victoria?" Trowa shot back hotly. 

"Well my sons also don't go after sixteen year old girls!" Duo sputtered indignantly. 

"You know what you need Duo? A good punch in the face to knock some sanity into that thick skull of yours!" Trowa growled again. 

"Oh yeah, by who?" Duo growled as he took a step back.

******************************************************************************

Over by their car Heero and Relena were observing the shouting match between Duo and Trowa. "Heero, don't you think you should stop that! I mean they're causing a scene and they look like they want to kill each other," Relena pointed out. 

Heero sighed and looked down at his wife. "I say let them beat the hell out of each other. Its between them."

"Heero," Relena said in a warning voice. 

"Fine, fine," Heero replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way towards them. He saw Trowa ball up his fist. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. He started walking a little faster. 

******************************************************************************

"By me," Trowa said as he pulled his fist back. 

"You do that," Duo smirked wickedly, balling up his own fist. 

Trowa let his balled fist fly forwards only to have it caught. He turned and looked at Heero. "What are you doing!" he hissed. 

"Trying to make sure that both of you don't make complete asses of yourselves, not like you haven't already," Heero said as he let go of Trowa's hand. "And you Maxwell. Get a grip on that temper of your before you explode," he ordered as he looked over at Duo. 

Duo let his hand relax and let it fall to his side. He took a deep breath. He glanced over at Hilde, who was watching and tapping her foot with her arms crossed. That wasn't a good sign. "Look Trowa, this is a little ridiculous. Last night I was being maniacal and irrational. I had every right to be upset with your son."

Trowa took a deep breath as well to calm himself. "But you still shouldn't have threatened to break every bone in Miles's body," he said. 

"It works for Heero," Duo said a little defensively as he looked over at Heero. 

"Leave me out of this," Heero said as he leaned back against the tree. "You two work it out. Just don't kill each other while you're at it."

"Like I said Trowa, I was irrational and I wasn't thinking too clearly. But I will take back what I said I was going to do to Miles. I won't kill him or break anything on him. Consider it a reprieve. But for now, he's not allowed to go anywhere with my daughter. And make it clear to him that she is off limits. And if he tries anyway, consider the breaking of bones back on and you know I'll actually mean it this time," Duo said as he turned on his heel and walked towards his wife. 

Trowa watched Duo walk away. "Well that went over well," he muttered. "I may have gotten my son's life saved, but not the breaking of anything."

"Be lucky your son is still alive and well because you know he does mean what he says when it concerns Randy," commented Heero. "Whatever Miles did, he took a gamble and lost. Its best to say whatever chance he did have, is now gone," he said as he turned and walked back to his own wife. 

Trowa sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He rolled his head back on his shoulders. "It just had to be one of those days," he mumbled as he too went back to his wife. 

******************************************************************************

Hilde raised a brow at Duo when he reached her. "You two certainly know how to have a "quiet" discussion."

"Sorry babe, I know you're probably not too happy with me right now. And I don't blame you. I certainly know how to act like an ass when the time does not call for it," he admitted sheepishly. 

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly Duo, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," she sighed. "You have to get over this thing with Randy dating."

"I know I do. I just need a little time to adjust to it," Duo said as he glanced over at Randy, who was still being held by Donavon. He wondered why he had never objected to the younger Barton. Maybe it was because there was only a year apart in their ages and he didn't have a reputation. But he could guess how Donavon felt about Randy. He had a crush on her since they were both little. But Miles was a different story. Sometimes he couldn't even begin to guess what made Miles and Donavon treat women differently. "Randy, we're going home now," he called over to her. 

Donavon pulled back from her and looked down at her. "Go on baby girl, go home with your parents and I'll see you at dinner tonight, okay?" 

Randy looked up at him and twitched her lips a little. "Why are you so good to me?"

"Because you're almost like a sister to me. Now go on home, sleep the entire afternoon away and I guarantee you'll feel better by dinner," he said as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. 

"All right," she said, giving him a half smile as she started walking towards her family. She looked over her shoulder at him. 

"That's my baby girl," Donavon said with a wide grin as she walked away from him. 

Duo watched as she walked towards him. She was smiling a little now. He turned to Hilde. "Go get in the car, I want to talk to Randy alone, all right?"

Hilde smiled and pressed a kiss on his jaw. "Sure," she replied as she took his keys and went over to the Suburban.

******************************************************************************

Duo waited until Randy was close to him. "Miranda," he called softly, "Could you and I have a talk?"

Randy looked up at him with uncertainty. She rolled her lips inward for a moment. "I guess so," she said slowly as she followed him over to a bench in the shade. "What do you want to talk about dad?" she asked as she looked at her hands. 

He glanced down at her bandaged hands. He picked one up and held it between his. "I wanted to tell you that I was sorry," he began as he rubbed his finger over the ring on her hand. "I was being irrational and maniacal last night. I know that you're old enough to date, but believe me, it's not an easy job for a dad to do. Any dad for that matter."

She watched as his larger hands enveloped her smaller one. "What job is that dad?" she asked softly. 

"Letting his little girl grow up," Duo said as he looked up at her. "When I look at Miles, its hard not to see myself. And I swore I wouldn't let you date a guy like I was because you deserve so much better sweetheart. I know you didn't do anything last night, but I'm a father and when I saw you and Miles, it made me go a little ballistic."

"Ballistic? Dad, you looked like you were on the Zero system," Randy said as she arched a brow at him. 

"Okay, the Zero system. But try to think where I'm coming from baby. A past womanizer does not want a womanizer for his daughter," he said as he looked into her cobalt eyes. 

"But you didn't stay that way did you? You came back and admitted that you loved mom since you laid eyes on her and you married her," she said earnestly. 

"I know I did. But that was a different time. Your mom and I were a lot more grown up at sixteen, and we grew up faster then we were supposed to. Your mom was pregnant with Chris when she was nineteen; I want you to be a kid as long as you can be. I know you've heard this before, but all I've wanted for you and your brothers is the best," Duo said as he laced his fingers with hers. 

Randy smiled ruefully. "I know that dad. But I love him, doesn't that count for something?"

"It does count for something," he said as he looked at their hands. 

"But…" 

"But not at this moment. I need to think about you and Miles a little more. I've told Trowa I wouldn't kill Miles, but until then I can't have you and him together," he said. He saw her open her mouth to protest. "If he really wants to be with you, he'll wait until I give the go ahead. Just let me do this for myself. I need time to think baby. Please."

Randy closed her eyes for a moment. _"What do I do? I love Miles. I can wait a little longer can't I? And dad says he'll think about it. Which doesn't mean yes, but it doesn't mean no either." _ She opened her eyes and looked at her dad. His cobalt eyes were pleading. She smiled wryly. "That's the look you give mom when you're groveling."

Duo grinned at her. "And God knows how much groveling I've done for her. I love you Randy. I've spoiled you because you're my little girl and letting you grow up is very hard for me. So can you bear with me?"  


She leaned against his shoulder. "I guess I can dad. Just please control that temper of yours," she replied as she placed her head on his shoulder. 

He looked down at her. His very beautiful little girl. She was every inch of her mother and so much like him. He put his arms around her in a hug. "I love you baby, never forget that," he said into her hair. 

"I won't daddy. I love you too," Randy said against her his shirt. 

"Come on, time to go home," he said as he stood. He pulled her up with him and swung her around in his arms. "And for me acting like an ass last night, you don't have to clean the house anymore. Sound good to you?"

"That sounds much better dad," she said as she walked with him. She looked up at him through her lashes. "Can I have my Jeep back too?"

"Don't push your luck little devil," Duo said as he helped her into the Suburban. 

Trowa looked at Miles as he walked back over to him. He saw the mournful look that he was giving Randy. "Miles, I have something important to tell you," he began. 

Miles looked back at his dad. "What is it?" he asked flatly. 

"Duo said he wouldn't kill you, but for the time being it seems, Randy is off limits to you," he replied softly. 

"She's off limits!" Miles sputtered. 

"She's off limits and if you want her enough, you'll wait," Trowa continued gently. "I know you don't like it, but I saved your life. But Duo is very adamant on that. And until he says it's okay for you to date Randy, I want you to do as he wishes. It's the best that I could do without pounding the hell out of him," he said wryly. 

Miles hung his head as he watched his brother walk over to them. "And you wonder why he doesn't object to him," he muttered under his breath. 

Trowa put his hand on Miles's shoulder. "Miles, if you really love her like your mother says you do, you'll wait until the braided baka makes up his mind. And as for your brother, Donavon doesn't have the reputation that you do," he said pointedly as he raised his brow at his son.

Miles flushed guiltily and looked away. His eyes fell on Randy as she was now sitting with Duo in the shade. He wanted to be with her, but he knew now the only way he could have her was by Duo's decree. He sighed. "I guess I'll have to wait a little bit longer," he sighed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked back to the car. 

Donavon looked over his shoulder at Randy and her dad. "Good luck baby girl," he said as he walked back with his dad to the car. 

******************************************************************************

Sunday dinner was the same as it always was. 

Randy watched Miles out of the corner of her eye. She had been seated on the other side of Chris, further away from Miles. She resented that just the tiniest bit. She glanced over at Victoria, who was sitting across from her. She felt the need to pick on her. "So Victoria, how do you like sleeping in my brother's bed?" she asked nonchalantly. 

It caused Chris and Victoria to choke on their wine. 

Victoria glared at Randy. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

Randy smirked. "Well it's kind of hard not to notice when my room is just two doors down the hall from his."

Chris was still choking on his wine. He was also avoiding looks from Heero and his dad. 

"I outta…" Victoria started to say. 

"Here we go," Miles said into his hand. 

"Ought to what?" Randy asked, as her smirk grew even bigger. 

"Chris do something!" Victoria hissed at him. 

Chris turned to look at his sister. "Randy, I advise you to start running because if I catch you, I'll hang you over the balcony out it the foyer."

Randy squealed as he made a grab for her. She dashed out of the dining room with Chris not far behind. 

Miles turned in his chair and watched her go, followed by her brother. He smiled ruefully. "At least she's feeling better."

Duo watched Miles, watch Randy. He sighed. "These are days that being a parent sucks," he muttered under his breath as he rolled his eyes heavenwards. 

Quatre sighed. "Why can't our dinners ever be normal?"

Heero eyed a flushing Victoria. "You got some explaining to do young lady."

Victoria gave her dad a weak smile. "I'll be right back, I'm going to help Chris torture his sister," she said as she dashed out of the room. 

Duo sighed. "I guess I have to stop them from doing just that," he said as he pushed out his chair and left the dining room. 

******************************************************************************

Later that evening, after Randy was freed by her dad, she went to the Winner's spacious library and curled up in a soft leather chair. She flipped through a book on Shakespeare. She sighed as she started reading "Romeo and Juliet." She felt someone's presence in the room She glanced up and saw Miles leaning against the door watching her. "Miles! What are you doing in here! My dad catches you…"

"I know, but I wanted to see how you were," Miles replied as he walked over and sat down in the chair across from her. He glanced at her bandaged hands and leaned forwards, taking her hands into his. "I'm sorry," he said as he kissed her palms. 

She smiled at his gesture. "Miles, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault my hands are like this. It's my own stubborn pride that did this," she said softly. 

"Pride, huh? I guess each and every one of us inherited that from our fathers. I just wish…" Miles trailed off as he looked back into her eyes. 

"I know what you wish and I wish we could be together too. I love you Miles, but my dad does need time to think. Technically I still have to do what he says," she said wryly. "And I don't want you hurt."

"Just waiting for you is going to be so much better. I've never had to work hard to date a beautiful woman, but I also didn't have a God of Death standing in the way," he chuckled. 

Randy let out a light laugh. "Well best things come to those who wait," she said as she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. "Now get going before you get caught and my dad has your ass."

"Always do what the lady says," Miles said as he stood, giving her a mock bow before slipping out of the room. 

She smiled as she started reading again. "I hope you say yes dad," she said to herself. 

Outside the window, stood Duo. He had watched the entire scene. His first impulse was to throttle Miles, but he reigned it in and watched. He tilted his head thoughtfully. "I wonder how many hoops I can make him jump through. This could be more fun then I thought," he said with a wicked grin as he turned on his heel and walked back to the dining room. 

__

Author's Note: Finally done with this part! What do you think Duo is going to make Miles do to get to Randy and will he say yes in the end? Stay tuned for more!


	9. Duo's Ultimate Test and the Cradle of Lo...

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids

_Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!_

_ _

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 8

**_ _**

Duo sat in the study later that week, thinking of what kinds of hoops that he could make Miles jump through. He tapped his fingers idly on the desktop, a wicked smile that he usually reserved for when he was up to something that he shouldn't crossed his lips. "I wonder what I could make him do," he mused. 

Hilde peeked her head into the study and arched her brow when she saw the particularly evil smile cross his face. She propped her hands on her hips. "All right mister, what are you up to?"

He looked up at Hilde, waiting for an answer. "Nothing," he said innocently, but his smile got even bigger. 

"Bull shit," she replied as she shut the door behind her. She went over to him and leaned against the desk. "Spill it braid boy. I know that look. That's the smile you usually reserve for when you're bugging the hell out of Wufei. I want to know what is going on in that devil's mind of yours." 

Duo gazed up at her. "You really want to know."

"Yes I want to know," Hilde said as she poked him in the chest. 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "I was thinking about how beautiful you are for a mother of four," he answered as he gave her a kiss on the nose. 

"None of that," she said as she leaned away a little. "I'm on to you and don't think you can fool me with that innocent look. I've raised four hellions and I'm married to an even bigger one then they are. So spill it because you know I'll pry it out of you sooner or later."

Duo grinned up at her guilelessly. "You mean that?" 

"I swear Duo Maxwell if you don't tell me I'll…"

"You'll what?"

"I'll…" Hilde started to say, but she stopped. 

"Can't think of anything can you?" Duo said smugly.

She threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't know why I bother. You're impossible!"

"That's why you love me so much," he replied cheekily as he hugged her tight. 

"I got it! I can withhold sex," Hilde said triumphantly. She gave him a smug smile. "I know that's one thing I can never get you to give up," she said when she saw him pout. 

"All right, all right! I'm thinking of ways that I can get Miles to jump through hoops. And he'll do anything just to get a date with Randy," Duo replied exasperatedly. 

"That isn't very nice of you," she said as she shook her head at him. 

"Oh come on babe, let me have a little fun. Please?" he asked giving her a puppydog face. 

"For as many years that I've been married to you, that look still seems to work," Hilde sighed as she looped her arms about his neck. She looked him directly in the eyes. "Keep it within reason," she warned lightly, "Or else I might have to kick your ass."

"Yes dear," Duo said as he gave her an angelic smile, which belied the thoughts going on in his head. He would keep them in reason, he was just push it to the border of reason. He looked into his wife's sparkling cornflower eyes. His smile turned wicked again. "The door locked?" 

"What do you mean is the door loc…" she trailed off when she saw the look in his eyes. "Duo, now is not the time for…"

He kissed her thoroughly and wheeled the desk chair back across the plush oatmeal colored carpet and locked the door himself.He lifted his lips from hers. She looked back at him dazedly. "You get your way too much. And right now, it's my turn. Got that baby," he said as he kissed her again, erasing all thoughts from her mind. 

******************************************************************************

Randy fiddled with the dials on the receiver for the stereo system, before finding a station that suited her. She pushed back the large coffee table as a song that she liked came over the radio.It was Billy Idol's "Cradle of Love." She started dancing around the room.

Well rock the cradle of love 

_Rock the cradle of love_

_Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true_

_ _

_Well rock the cradle of love_

_I rocked the cradle of love_

_Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true_

_Well now_

_ _

_It burned like a ball of fire_

_When the rebel took a child bride_

_To tease yeah so go easy yeah_

_ _

She didn't hear Carin, Vaughn, Donavon and Veronica come into the room and stand there, watching. She went into a spilt in the middle of the floor. 

Cause love cuts a million ways 

_Shakes the devil when he misbehaves_

_I ain't nobody's fool_

_Come on shake it up_

_Whatever I do_

_ _

_Rock the cradle of love_

_Rock the cradle of love_

_Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true_

_ _

_Sent from Heaven above that's right_

_To rob the cradle of love_

_Yes the pages of love don't talk decently it's true_

_ _

Vaughn leaned over to his cousin and whispered, "Told you that she can dance better then a stripper."

Donavon glanced over at him. "And when did you see a stripper?"

Vaughn grinned guilelessly. "I have my ways," he said as he turned his attention back to Randy. 

Yeah flesh for your romeo 

_Ah yeah baby_

_I hear you moan_

_It's easy y' know how to please me yeah_

_ _

_This love starts a rollin' train_

_You can't stop it_

_It ain't that vain_

_I ain't nobody's fool_

_Come on shake it up_

_Whatever you do_

_ _

_These are the wages of love_

_Rock the cradle of love_

_These are the wages of love_

_Ooh yeah_

_Rock the cradle_

_ _

Carin sighed. "If Miles saw her dancing like this he would die a happy man."

"I think if any man saw her dancing like that, they would all die happy men," Veronica whispered back. 

Randy shimmied her hips in time with the music, her hair whipping around her shoulder. 

Carin glanced at her brother and her cousin. "They haven't yet."

"They've seen her dance like that before," Veronica said as she looked over at them. 

Well it burned like a ball on fire 

_When the rebel took little child bride_

_To tease yeah I know how to please you yeah_

_ _

_Well my love starts a rollin' train_

_You can't stop it_

_It ain't that vain_

_I ain't nobody's fool_

_Come on shake it up _

_Whatever I do_

_ _

Randy slid down to the floor again, swinging her legs around to the side. Still very oblivious to the fact that she had an audience. She pushed herself up with her hands, going back into a spilt.

_Rock the cradle of love_

_Rock the cradle of love_

_Sent from Heaven above_

_That's right_

_To rock the cradle of love_

_Rock the cradle of love_

_Yeah cradle of love_

_That's me mama_

_I robbed the devil of love_

_All right_

_Cradle of love_

_If you tease me tonight_

_If you sleaze me all right_

_If you appease me tonight_

_And let me ease you_

_Cradle of love_

_ _

Randy fell back onto the floor when she heard clapping and whistling. She turned her head around and saw Donavon and Vaughn whistling and Veronica and Carin clapping. She flushed a little. "I didn't hear you guys come in," she said as she stood, turning off the radio. 

"Course not baby girl, you were blasting it as usual," Donavon said with a grin. 

"Who were you putting a show on for?" Vaughn asked as he came in and sat down on the couch. He dug into pocket for his wallet. He pulled out several credits. "Randy did anyone ever tell you that you dance like a stripper?"

Randy grinned. "Well only my dance instructor when he heard I wanted to do my spring dance routine to this song," she replied as she counted the credits. She looked up at Vaughn. "Only ten credits Winner? The dance deserves at least two hundred," she teased as she flipped his blond bangs up with her finger. 

Vaughn grinned. "Well if you say so sweetheart. That's the best damn dance I've ever seen," he said as he chucked her under the chin with his finger. He gave her a wicked grin. "I'll give you another hundred for a lap dance."

"You wish," Randy said as she poked him in the ribs and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. 

Carin smacked her cousin in the back of the head. "Get your mind out of the gutter Vaughn," she said as she sat down next to him. She looked over at Randy. "So who was that dance for?"

"No one," Randy replied as she pushed the coffee table out with her feet. 

"That's bull," Veronica said as she sat down next to her. "That dance was for Miles."

Randy flushed more. "So what if it was."  
  


"My brother would die a happy man. Probably at the hands of your dad if he caught him staring at you while you were dancing to this," Donavon answered, leaning over and squeezing her knee affectionately. 

"So how are you doing?" Carin asked as she looked over at Randy. 

"Fine I guess. I miss seeing Miles, but I don't want to cause anymore trouble and make my dad all upset," Randy replied as she looked down at her hands. She studied the partially healed scars on her palms. 

Donavon leaned forward and pulled her hands into his and looked at the partially healed wounds. "Do these feel better?" he asked raising his eyes to hers. 

"Yes," Randy replied as he rubbed his fingers over the scabs. "They'll go away in a few more days." She looked back up at Donavon, whose brows arched a little. "What?"

"You should have just let it out Randy, instead of holding it in," Donavon scolded gently. "You only hurt yourself this way."

Randy rolled her eyes and pulled her hands away from his. "Once a tomboy, always a tomboy. And even you know that means no tears."

"You may be a tomboy, but it doesn't mean you should hide them all the time," Vaughn said, his amethyst colored eyes, serious.

"Randy everyone knows what kind of girl you are. You don't have to be afraid to show tears," Veronica said as she regarded her friend with her sapphire eyes. 

"Doesn't make the difference. Just call it a pride thing," Randy replied as she crossed her arms defensively. 

'To hell with the pride Randy. It doesn't do you any good when you hurt yourself like that," Donavon said pointedly. 

"Well isn't that just too damn bad," Randy shot back as she glared at him. She took a deep breath. "But I knew I was courting danger when I started flirting with Miles and he started flirting back."

"Told him not to. He knew that you were jail bait and he still went after you," Carin said as she leaned forwards. She pressed her palms together in her lap. "But nothing seems to stop him from something that he wants. And what he wants is you. I think your dad will do anything to make my brother fight just to get a date with you. And he knows it."

"I asked Miles not that long ago, if I was worth his life," Randy said as she looked up at Carin. "And he said I was. So I know he'll do anything my dad asks him to do at this point."

"So Miles really does mean it. That's a first for him," Donavon said thoughtfully. "And I'll even say this, all the girls in all the families are worth dying for." His eyes went to Randy. 

"Oh that's so sweet," Veronica said as she smiled at Donavon. 

"That song you were dancing to, fits Miles perfectly. He is rocking the cradle," Vaughn said, grinning a little. 

"Oh come on. He's only three years older then me," Randy protested. "It's not like nine years. I mean your own little sister has a crush on Zach, and he's nine years older then her."

Her reply made Vaughn choke. "She better not get any ideas into her head about him. He's too old for her," he said when he regained his breath. 

"I rest my case," Randy said smugly as she leaned back against the couch. 

"Brat," Vaughn muttered as he narrowed his eyes at Randy. "At least I least I date women my own age," he snorted. 

"That's a good thing too because you still blush like a schoolgirl," Veronica teased as she curled her legs under her on the couch. 

"I do not!" Vaughn retorted indignantly as his glared over at her. 

"Yes you do," Randy laughed as she got up and sat down between him and Donavon. "Especially when a girl does this," she said as she leaned over and blew on his ear. 

"Stop that!" Vaughn said as a tell tale blush began to creep up his cheeks. 

"And this," Veronica said as she got up and motioned for Carin to move before she sat down next to him and scratched his ears with her nails.

"Will you two stop it!" Vaughn hissed as his face got bright red. He covered his ears with his hands.

"How did you survive going into a strip club and not blush?" Donavon asked incredulously.

"Well the women were not scratching or blowing on my ears, that's for damn sure!" Vaughn snapped as he moved away from the two girls. He stood in front of the fireplace. The color was beginning to recede from his features. He glared at the two giggling girls on the couch. "Wenches," he muttered under his breath. 

"Oh but you love us anyway," Randy said, still giggling as she leaned against Donavon.

"My brother is definitely going to have his hands full when he dates you," Donavon said as he laughed at his cousin's expense as well. He looked over at Vaughn. "You really should get rid of those blushes though before you get serious with a woman."

"Oh shut up Donavon," Vaughn mumbled, glaring at his cousin now. 

"What's all this noise in here?" Hilde said as she came into the family room, running her hands through her tousled hair. 

"Just laughing at Vaughn's expense mom," Randy said as she sat up. She noted her mom's appearance. "And what were you doing mom?" she asked, arching a brow.

Hilde flushed a little. "Nothing dear, just going over some files on the computer," she replied hastily. 

"I didn't know computer files could unbutton and button up shirts and get some of them in the wrong place," Randy smirked, earning snickers from the others. 

Hilde went bright red as she noted the buttons on her shirt. She sighed as she tuned away, fixing them. She turned around again. "Well, I have to go out to the grocery store. You want anything?" she asked, her cheeks still flaming.

"No mom. I'm fine," Randy replied, snickering a little. "And would this 'computer file' go by the name of dad?" she asked. 

Hilde shook her head as she walked past them and into the kitchen. "I have to go. See you later honey," she said over her shoulder as she picked up her purse and headed out the door. 

The five teens burst out into gales of laughter. 

"That was too bad of you," Carin said between bouts of laughter as she fell back onto the plush armchair. 

"Man, don't your parents ever give it a rest!" Vaughn laughed as he leaned against the mantle for support. 

"They don't know how and you wonder why I'm the last one!" Randy said as she almost fell off the couch laughing. 

Donavon caught her before she hit the floor. He pulled her back up. "God you got a wicked sense of humor baby girl," he chuckled as he ruffled her hair with his hand.

"I eavesdropped one time and heard my dad complain that one time, your dad and mom kept everyone awake the entire night because of…well you know," Veronica giggled as she leaned back into the corner of the couch. 

Duo walked in to investigate the source of the noise since Hilde hadn't returned. He observed the teens in the family room. Vaughn was almost on the floor, still laughing. Carin was on the verge of toppling out of the chair. Veronica was holding her hands over her mouth. And his daughter and Donavon were laughing and supporting each other so they wouldn't fall off the couch. "Just what are you guys laughing at?" he asked looking at them.   
  


Randy looked up at her dad. "Nothing," she replied as she noted her dad's rumpled shirt before she broke into a fresh peal of laughter. 

Duo sighed and rolled his eyes. "Where's you mother?" he asked.

"Mom? She went to the grocery store," Randy answered as she clutched her stomach as she almost fell off the couch again and Donavon pulling her back on. 

Duo sighed again. "Oh well," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be in the study if you need me, all right Randy."

"Right dad," Randy said as she clapped her hands over her mouth to keep anymore laughter from escaping. 

******************************************************************************

Duo shook his head and left the room, going back to the study. He grinned when he sat back down in the chair again, thinking of his wife. They had put the chair to good use. He shook his head, clearing his mind, trying to think of ways of making Miles jump through hoops. "Let's see. I could always make him work for me," he mused as he tapped his fingers on the edge of the desk. He heard more laughter from the family room. He chuckled to himself. "I could give him a list of tasks to complete. Or get him to fill out a questionnaire. Or I could make him wait as long as possible for an answer. Hilde said to keep it within reason." He couldn't decide which one to do. He finally decided and reached for the phone. He dialed up the Barton's number. "Hi Middi, may I talk to Miles?"

"Sure," Middi replied, a little puzzled on why Duo wanted to talk to her son. She sighed. "Miles, someone wants to talk to you," she called up the stairs. 

Miles came down the steps, curious on who was calling him. "Who is it mom?" he asked.

"It's Duo, Miles. He wants to talk to you," she said as she held out the cordless phone to him. 

He took it, wondering why Duo wanted to talk to him. He went into the living room. "Hello."

"Miles, just the person I wanted to talk to," Duo said cheerfully. 

Miles felt his stomach drop. Something was up. "What do you want?" he asked hesitantly. 

"You want to date my daughter don't you?" Duo asked as he propped his feet up on the desk. "Well in order for you to do so, you're going to have to prove yourself to me," he said, grinning widely, imagining the expression on the boy's face.

Miles felt his heart drop even more. But he was determined to prove himself worthy enough to date Randy. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, wincing a little at the thought of what Duo could possibly have in mind. 

"Glad you asked. Here's what I want you to do. You're going to work for me at the mill for the entire week. I know you're a competent mechanic and I want you to do a complete overhaul on all the trucks and other vehicles used in the mill. Forklifts and other things like that. But at the same time, you will have to be at my beck and call throughout the day. And if you're able to survive that, you have to fill out a questionnaire. I don't know what will be on it yet. But if your answers are to my liking, then and only then, will you get a date with Randy. And even then, you will abide by several rules," Duo finished gleefully. 

Miles swallowed. _"Overhaul all the trucks and other vehicles? Be at his beck and call the entire day? And fill out a questionnaire? And I thought Yuys were sadistic, but Duo really takes the cake on this one.** But you will do it. Randy is at stake here. The girl that you're in love with." He swallowed again. He knew what he had to do. "When do you want me to start?" he asked, hoping he would live long enough to enjoy a date with Randy.**_

A very God of Death smirk crossed Duo's face at Miles reply. "Tomorrow morning. Be here by six thirty," he said leaning back in the chair before continuing, "And don't worry Miles. I know you'll work your hardest. And wear clothing you don't care about."

Miles lifted his eyes heavenwards. _"What did I get myself into?" "Yes sir," he replied haltingly. _

"Good. See you tomorrow Miles," Duo said before he hung up the phone. He put his hands behind his head. "Not to bad if I do say so myself," he said as he closed his eyes. 

Miles gulped when he hung up the phone. He stared at it for a minute. "The things I would do for that girl, even if it means getting me killed," he said as he flopped back onto the couch. And hopefully if he survived, he would be able to go out with Randy. 

Duo put his feet back down on the floor. He would inform Randy on what he was doing. "Randy, could you come here for a moment?" he called out. He heard her footfalls come down the hall before she came into view.

"Yes dad?" Randy asked as she closed the door behind her. She could see definite smile on his face.   
  


"I just wanted to inform you that I just talked to Miles," he replied as he moved to the loveseat in the study. He motioned her towards it. 

She sat down next to him. "Why did you talk to Miles for?" she asked, curious. 

"I wanted to tell you that I have informed him about what he has to do in order to get my permission to date you," Duo said simply. He grasped her hands in his and looked down at the partially healed wounds. 

"Dad, you weren't unreasonable, were you?" Randy asked warningly. 

"I was reasonable. And he agreed to them."

"What are you making him do?"

"He's going to work for me," Duo stated, watching and waiting for his daughter's reaction. 

"Work for you?" Randy repeated, looking at him with wide eyes. "You're not making him do anything dangerous are you?"

"No, no," he said shaking his head. "I have him working on stuff that isn't that dangerous. Don't worry baby, I won't kill him."

She arched a brow at him. "I hope so," she said slowly. "Will you tell me what he's actually doing or you going to keep it a secret?"

"You'll figure it out soon enough," Duo said as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Now go back out there and spend time with your friends."

"All right dad," Randy said as she stood. She looked down at him. "Nothing dangerous, you promise?" she asked. 

"Promise," Duo replied giving her a warm smile. "Go on," he said nodding his head. 

"Sure," she said as she turned and left the room. She walked back down the hall towards the family room. "He was way too cheerful for him to be that innocent. I wonder what he's going to make Miles do?" she mused to herself as she went back to the family room.

Duo watched her go. He propped his feet up on the plush cushions. "And these are the days I love being a dad," he chuckled.

******************************************************************************

Randy sat back down on the couch next to Donavon. She tapped her nails thoughtfully against her lips. 

Donavon noted her pensive expression. "What is it baby girl?" he asked.

She looked up into his green gray eyes. "My dad has just made a slave out of your brother," she replied. "And Miles has agreed to work for my dad so he has a chance to go out with me."

His eyes widened. "Miles agreed? He's not going to live through the entire day."

"I'll hand it to your dad Randy, he really knows how to make a guy's life difficult," Vaughn interjected as he glanced over at her. "Wonder why he's never made my life or Donavon's difficult?"

"Because neither of you have reputations. Miles does. Case in point," Veronica stated as she put a pillow behind her head. 

"Vaughn does have one as a flirt, but he doesn't go around sleeping with women. He still blushes," Donavon smirked. 

Vaughn glared at his cousin. "And you've been dancing with her since you were eleven and she was ten. Duo knows you well enough that you're the complete opposite of Miles. Which brings me to ask, why don't you date?"

Donavon shrugged. "Don't have an interest really. Haven't found any girl that's worth dating," he replied.

"He has high expectations," Carin said as she rolled her eyes. 

"But that's his business," Randy said, flashing him a smile. "Just because he doesn't chase after girls like Miles did or like my brothers doesn't mean he won't ever date. Some guys like to wait for the right woman."

"Sounds like Jet and my brother," Vaughn muttered. "Jet is too much like Wufei, calling women silly onnas and Damien is the perfect gentlemen. And you never hear about Zach and Thad. They keep their mouths shut about the women they date."

"So, how long is my brother going to work for your dad?" Donavon asked, leaning forward.

"I don't know, I'm guessing a week at the most," Randy answered as she frowned a little. "And I know my dad will have him working hard. And this Saturday night is the End of Summer festival in the town square. I was hoping my dad would have made up his mind by now and Miles would take me."  
  


Donavon pondered that for a moment. "Why don't you come with me? I know I'm not my brother, but I'd want you to have fun. Miles would be there in case your dad makes up his mind."

Randy gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you for offering. I would like it very much to go with one of my closest friend," she said giving him a hug. She leaned back and looked up at him. "You know, a girl would be very lucky to have a sweetheart like you."

"You flatter me baby girl," Donavon said smiling back. "My brother will be a lucky guy if he survives your dad."

"And who said Donavon didn't have a thing for the ladies," Vaughn mumbled under his breath as he watched his cousin give Randy another hug.

**_Author's Note: What is Duo going to make Miles do for him? And will Miles survive the week being Duo's slave? And will Miles get his answer on the night of the festival? It's all coming up, so stay tuned for more!_**


	10. Miles And His First Day In Duo's Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids

_Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!_

_ _

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 9 

**_ _**

The alarm clock went off next to Duo's head. He reached out and fumbled for the button, turning it off. It was six o'clock in the morning. He pulled the sheets higher around his neck. He heard Hilde whimper in her sleep next to him. Her body was cuddled up to his. He didn't want to get out of bed yet. There was nothing better then waking up next to his lovely wife. Her arms were around him, his back up against her chest. "Should have told Miles seven thirty instead of six thirty," he groaned as he opened one eye gradually. He rolled over to face Hilde and pulled her against him. And like always, she burrowed herself against his warmth. 

"Duo, don't you have to get up?" Hilde mumbled against his chest. 

"Yeah, but I don't want to," he replied. "I much rather sleep longer with you."

She laughed sleepily. "You say that every morning, you know."

"I know," Duo said as he slid his hands up and down the tank top she was wearing. 

******************************************************************************

Over at the Barton house, Miles was sitting on the edge of his bed, almost dressed. "Man, what did I get myself into," he muttered as he pulled on a sock. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he called out as the door opened. 

Trowa looked at his son getting ready. "You almost ready. It's ten after six," he said. 

"I know dad. I'm just not that eager to face my tests," Miles replied as he pulled on the other sock. 

"Understandable," Trowa said, leaning against the wall. His green eyes met his son's. "Is she worth it?"

Miles grinned slightly. "Randy is worth it dad."

Trowa smiled slightly as well. He nodded his head. "Well hurry up then. Don't want to be late," he said as he turned to walk out the door. 

"Yeah I know. I don't want to take any chances," Miles said, pulling on both work boots and lacing them. He followed his dad down the steps. He took a deep breath as he opened the front door. The sun was barely breaking the horizon. 

"Good luck Miles," Trowa said, squeezing his son's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks dad," Miles replied with a grin as he walked out the door to face Death's challenge. 

******************************************************************************

Randy woke up and heard knocking on the kitchen door. "Who the hell is that?" she mumbled as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. She shoved her feet into her suede scuffs and padded down the steps. The door was knocked again. "All right, all right, I'm coming, I'm coming," she said as she let out a yawn. She smoothed one hand over her periwinkle tank top and polka dotted pajama bottoms before she reached the door. "Who the hell is it?" she called sleepily through the door. 

"It's Miles," Miles said as he felt his palms get all sweaty. It was six thirty now. 

"Miles?" she said as she pulled open the door. "What the hell are you doing here at six thirty inthe morning?"

Miles took in the half asleep Randy. Her hair all tousled and her face all pink from sleep. "You're dad told me to be here at six thirty because I'm working for him this week," he replied as he stepped in. 

"Oh, all right," Randy said, giving him a faint smile. "I'llgo get him for you," she said as she turned around. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Morning Miles. I love you." She turned and went up the steps. 

He looked after her. She looked so adorable, that he had restrained the impulse to pull her into his arms and kiss her awake. But he wasn't taking any chances. He sat down at the kitchen table and waited. 

******************************************************************************

Randy made her way down the hall to her parent's room. She knocked on the door and heard a faint "come in." She pushed the door open and saw her mom, still curled up in bed alone. "Where's dad?" she asked asshe came over and sat down on the edge of the bed. She yawned again.

"He's in the bathroom. He's almost ready," Hilde replied, rolling over and pulling Duo's pillow against her. 

"Oh, ok. Because Miles is waiting downstairs," Randy said as she closed her eyes and leaned forwards, propping her head up on her hands. 

Duo came out of the bathroom to see his daughter sitting on the bed. "What are you doing up?"

"Miles is here, waiting downstairs," Randy said through her fingers. She glanced up her dad. "You couldn't have made him come at a more reasonable hour," she pointed out, trying to keep her eyes open. 

Duo grinned at her sleepy face. "I'm sorry baby. I should of made it later too when I woke up this morning."

"That's for sure," Hilde replied, her voice muffled by the pillow. 

"Next time you should be up to answer the door," Randy said as she fell back onto the bed. She had her arm flung over her face. 

"Sorry," Duo said as he came over to the bed. He looked down at Randy. Her eyes were already closed again and she was breathing shallowly in sleep. He smiled and not having the heart to wake her, lifted her legs until they were resting on the bed. He pulled off the scuffs and dropped them on the floor. She whimpered as he moved her gently. He took a step back and looked at the bed. Hilde was sleeping on her stomach, the sheets kicked down around her ankles, and holding onto his pillow. And Randy was sleeping on her back with her arm still over her face. It was such a cute picture. The two most important women in his life, asleep and looking as adorable as could be.He smiled softly and went over to Hilde. He knelt down and pressed a kiss on her lips. "Bye babe. I love you," he whispered. 

"Uh hmmm…love you too," Hilde said as she brushed her nose against his. 

He chuckled faintly and returned the gesture. He then went over to Randy. He pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Bye baby. I love you too."

"Love you too daddy," Randy said lightly as she rolled to her side. 

Duo felt his heart melt a little when she said that. He ruffled her ebony hair before leaving the room. He went down to the kitchen to find Miles, sitting in one of the chairs with his eyes closed. He went over to him and snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Wake up Miles," he said, chuckling when the boy nearly jumped out of the chair. 

Miles blinked his eyes a few times as they focused on Duo. "Morning," he said, trying to cover up a yawn.

Duo chuckled again and he went over to the coffee machine. He looked over his shoulder at him. "You want coffee to wake yourself up?" he asked as he pulled out a mug from the cabinets. 

"Yes, thank you," Miles replied, watching Duo warily. He looked back down at his hands. "Duo, does Randy know about this?" 

Duo looked back over at him. "Yes, she knows. She doesn't like it, but then again, she's willing to go along with it in order for me not to kill you," he replied as he leaned against the counter. He studied Miles a little. The russet hair, the deep green eyes, and the rest of his facial features made him look a lot like Trowa. But like all the kids, the eyes were expressive. His kids or any of the others couldn't readily hide what they felt. It hadn't been ingrained into them. And he could see that Miles cared a great deal about Randy. But he was a father and he wanted the best for his little girl and this was one way he could make sure that Miles was the best. "Tomorrow you should come by at seven thirty. I don't want to deal with an irate wife and daughter first thing in the morning," he said as he turned back to the coffee machine. He poured two cups and set on down in front of Miles. 

"That's fine," Miles replied, watching Duo sit down on one of the barstools in front of the island. He would admit that for Duo's age, he was still a force to be reckoned with. He had seen the explosive temper up close. He believed wholeheartedly that Duo could probably still kick his ass in a heartbeat. He was sure most of the father's still could. "Did Randy go back to bed?" he asked tentatively as he glanced up at Duo over the rim of his mug. 

Duo paused for a moment, setting down his cup. "Yes, Randy went back to bed. It's a little too early for her," he replied, noticing how Miles had hesitated in asking the question. He leaned over and poured himself a second cup. "Your brother was here yesterday. He asked Randy to the End of Summer Festival in town. Of course he asked for my permission afterwards."

Miles smiled ruefully. "I know. He told me last night when he got home. He wanted to make sure it was ok with me too."

Duo tilted his head a little. "Are you jealous at all?" 

Miles looked up into the intense cobalt eyes. "A little, yes.But I want her to be happy at the festival and not worry about me."

Duo smirked a little as he went to put his cup in the sink. "Well are you ready to go to work?" he asked looking over his shoulder at him. 

Miles gulped. "Yes, I'm ready to work," he replied as he came over to the sink and put his mug in.He followed Duo out to the garage and climbed into the Suburban. 

Duo glanced over at his passenger on the way to the rolling mill that he and Hilde had owned since before Chris was born. He could see him twiddling his thumbs, nervously. _"Good for him to be nervous. Don't want him too comfortable. Let him think I'm really going to do something to him." _

******************************************************************************

The mill was situated in the outlying hills that had once made up the borders of the former Sanc Kingdom. It seemed to be an ideal place for the mill and it created jobs in an area that was still recovering from war. 

Duo pulled into the reserved parking spot out front. He was here more often then Hilde since he had told her it wasn't place for a woman. He had gotten an earful for that. And most of the workers in the mill itself were men. Not like a woman couldn't apply for one of those jobs, but many didn't. The women that worked here were usually in the office upstairs. And there were only three of them since Hilde still more or less did most of the paperwork herself. He glanced over at Miles, who was looking around the surrounding area. "You'll come with me up to the office first before I show you where you'll be working for the next four days," he said as he walked towards the building that housed the business office. 

Miles followed, glancing at his surroundings. He knew that this place supplied some of the best sheet metal on Earth and the Colonies. It had made Duo and Hilde very rich and their kids heirs to this business as well as the yard that they still owned on L2. He went into the business office after Duo. He looked around at the office where three women were working. 

"Morning Jean," Duo said to his assistant as he opened the door to his office. 

"Morning Duo," Jean replied as she handed some correspondence to him. "There are several new clients that called this morning. And here is some files for you to look over." She noticed Miles standing by the door. "And who is this young man?" she asked. 

Duo looked up at her question. "His name is Miles Barton. He's a son of a friend of the family. He'll be working for me for the week," Duo replied, giving Miles a smile. 

Miles smiled at the assistant faintly. "Nice to meet you ma'am," he said as he nodded his head. 

"Why don't you come into my office for a moment Miles and I'll get over explaining your exact duties for the week before I show you where you have to go," Duo said as he gestured Miles to inside his office. 

Miles went into the office and sat down in the chair in front of a desk. He waited for Duo to come in. He looked at the items on the desk. He could see a picture frame sitting on one side. He leaned out of his chair a little and looked at it. It was a picture of all four kids when they were little. Randy was about six in the photo, her hair curling on her shoulders and wearing an innocent smile creasing her lips. The other picture facing it was of Hilde when she was younger. He couldn't help but smile at it. He could see why Duo fell in love with her. He sat back when he heard the door close. He watched as Duo sat down behind the desk. "What exactly are my duties?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Duo replied leaning back in the chair. "You'll be doing work on all the equipment in the shop that needs to be fixed. I know you're a very competent mechanic so this won't be any problem for you to handle. Two, you'll also be at my beck and call throughout the day, that's why you'll be wearing this," he said tossing Miles a two way radio. 

Miles caught and hooked it on to his belt. "Is there anything else you need for me to do?" he asked.

"No, that's all for now," Duo said as he pushed out of his chair. "I'll show you where the shop is and you can get straight to work." He walked out of his office with Miles trailing behind him. He walked across the wide lot to another building. He called out greetings to several workers as he passed. "Here we are," he said as he pushed open the door to the shop. 

Miles looked around at the equipment that needed to be fixed. There was a lot. _"Its like he planned for all this equipment to be here the day I have to work." "I'll get right to it," he said, pushing up the sleeves of his denim shirt._

"Good. Everything you need is here. Good luck Miles," Duo said, patting the younger man on the shoulder before leaving. He chuckled as he closed the door. "Today should prove to be quite interesting," he said as he walked back to the office.

Miles started working on a forklift, taking the motor apart. Luckily for him, the equipment's problems were clearly listed so he knew what he had to do. And just about the time he was piecing the motor back together, the radio on his belt crackled to life. "Yes?" he asked turning up the volume on it. 

"Miles, I need you to run to the warehouse and write down several item numbers that I need to give a client. Bring it back to my office as soon as possible," Duo said over the radio. "I want A427, 429, and 433. They also want GU47 and 49. And C98, 99, 101, and 199." 

"Sure, I'll get them," Miles said getting up and leaving the workshop. He found the warehouse by asking and went inside. He picked up a clip bored hanging on the wall and proceeded to write down the numbers. He walked around quickly, scribbling them down. The radio on his waist crackled again. "Yes Duo?"

"Oh after you bring those back, I want you to go the loading dock. I want to know what came in this morning. And bring that back to the office as well," Duo ordered. He leaned back in his chair, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "God I love being the boss."

Miles ran back to the business office. He opened the door and placed the paper on the desk. "Here are the number's you requested."

"Splendid. Don't forget your next task," Duo said looking down at the paper in front of him. 

"Right away," Miles said, leaving the office. He took a deep breath and went to the loading dock, where raw materials for the making of the sheet metal were being unloaded. He got curious looks from several of the workers. He grinned slightly. "Mister Maxwell wanted me to find out what came in," he explained as he began writing down what came in. And the list was endless. He was chewing on the end of the pencil by the time they were finished unloading. He ran back to the office and gave Duo the list. 

Duo glanced down at it. "That's all for right now. Go back to the shop," he said as he began writing down numbers on another sheet of paper. 

Miles left and went back to the shop. He finally finished with the motor and replaced it. He looked at his watch. It wasn't even noon yet. He sighed and started in on the next thing that needed to be looked at. He wrinkled his nose a little when he read that the truck needed an oil change and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. "I just bet he's laughing his ass off right now," he muttered as he started on the truck. His radio crackled. "Yes Duo?"

"I want you to run down to dock and get the outgoing orders list and bring back a copy to me," Duo said, sipping his coffee. 

"Right away," Miles said as he stood and went back down to the dock. He got a copy of it and walked back to the office, setting it on Duo's desk. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Oh yes, you can go get me another cup of coffee," Duo said without looking up from the list. 

"Sure," Miles replied as he went out to the reception area and poured another cup of coffee for Duo. He brought it back and set it on the desk. "Is that all?"

"For now," Duo smirked, glancing up at him. "How's the work in the shop going?"

"Fine," Miles replied as he left the office. "I swear the man is trying to kill me. Very slowly." He went back to the shop and went back to work on the truck. He was called by Duo at least a dozen more times to do tasks. He glanced back at his watch again. It was already noon and he had been called by Duo at least eighteen times in the five hours that he'd been here. He finally finished with the truck. He leaned his head against the hood. "God this sucks," he groaned. 

"It's work," Duo replied, walking into the shop. He noted Miles appearance. Grease and oil stains on his clothing and his arms and hands. "I'm going home for lunch. There's a cafeteria downstairs under the offices. You can go eat there," he said. 

"You're going home for lunch?" Miles repeated. He sighed. "How long will you be gone for?" he asked. 

"Oh about an hour. Which means you have an hour lunch break. Enjoy," Duo said turning on his heel and leaving the shop. He climbed into his Suburban, whistling a happy tune. 

As soon as Duo was out of sight, Miles punched a wall. "Dammit! He's really enjoying making my life a hell. The things I do for her," he growled as he went and scrubbed his hands and went to the cafeteria. He went outside with his lunch, sitting under a bunch of trees. He noticed several other workers had the same idea as him. He looked up when some of them sat nearby.

"You're the one running around doing errands for Mister Maxwell, aren't you boy?" one worker asked 

"Yes, I'm doing errands for the boss," Miles replied. He took another gulp of his soda, draining the can before he opened another. 

"Never seen you before. What exactly are you doing here?" the worker asked again. 

"You could say that I'm the boss's slave for the week. I have to work in order to prove myself worthy to date his daughter," Miles answered smiling a little. 

"Dating the boss's daughter huh? We remember her all right. Cute little thing in pigtails. He would carry her around, showing things to her," the worker said, nodding his head at the other four men he was with. "Haven't seen her in quite awhile though. Been a few years."

"Well that cute little girl in pigtails is now a very beautiful sixteen year old. And I have an excellent idea why he doesn't bring her around here anymore," Miles said as he sipped his soda. 

"Because she's a beautiful girl like you said," the worker smirked. "She must be a looker like the missus. Missus Maxwell is a kind woman. And a smart one too," the worker said.

"Oh she is," Miles replied, thinking of Randy and of Hilde's sweet nature and beautiful faces. 

******************************************************************************

Duo whistled when he walked into the kitchen. "Babe I'm home," he called as he sat down at the table. 

Hilde came out of the study when she heard his voice. She went back to the kitchen. "What are you doing home?" she asked curiously as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I wanted to have lunch with my beautiful wife," he replied, pulling her down onto his lap. He gave her a sound kiss on the lips. "And I brought some orders for you to look over too,"

"Really?" she asked as she picked up the papers on the table, pushing her glasses up on her nose at the same time. "I'll take a look at these later," she said as she put them back down. She looked down at him. "Where's Miles?"

"Oh, he's having lunch at the mill and probably thinking that I'm trying to kill him with hard labor," Duo replied, rubbing his hand up and down her back. 

"Duo, it better be within reason," Hilde warned as she took off her glasses to glare at him. 

"Don't worry, it is," he said innocently, kissing her nose and giving her a tight squeeze. 

"Dad, is that you?" Randy called as she came down the back steps in a pair of jeans and a black tank top. She looked around the kitchen. "Where's Miles?" 

"Miles is still at the mill," Duo replied, looking over at his daughter. "He's working very hard too."

"Dad, you're not being hard on him are you?" Randy asked warily, eyeing her dad as she sat down on one of the barstools. 

"No, he's not. He knows better," Hilde said, as she removed herself from Duo's arms and stood. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Am I right?"

"Yes dear," Duo said, giving her a smile. 

Randy almost giggled at his response. The only person he allowed to walk all over him was her mom. And her. Her dad rarely did anything to piss off her mom, but when he did, it was like another war going on. Her mom would yell at him and go up to the bedroom and slam the door, making the windows rattle. And he would take a long walk to cool off his temper. "So what are you having him do?" she asked. 

"Oh, just work in the shop and some odds and ends," Duo replied cryptically, not wanting to give everything away. He looked back at his wife. "So, what's for lunch?"

Hilde rolled her eyes and sighed. "How about a sandwich," she replied over her shoulder. 

It was Duo's turn to sigh. "Can you make it a hot turkey sandwich?"

"Yes, I can do that," she said as she got out the necessary things. _"The things I do for that braided baka."_

_ _

Duo could see the slight frown on Randy's lips. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"No reason really. I just kind of wish you weren't making Miles do all of this. I mean this isn't normal what you're making him do," Randy replied as she twisted her hands in her lap. "None of the other girls had to watch their dads' put their prospective dates through the wringer."

A wry smile crossed Duo's lips. "Randy, I'm far from normal. And even this is true, you attract guys that are very much like me when I was their age," he replied. "I was a real skirt chaser."

"Got that right," Hilde said under her breath as she stood at the stove.

"I heard that," Duo said casting a look in Hilde's direction. "Not something I'm proud of though. But just understand Randy, I'm being a dad in the truest sense of the word. I just want what's best for you. And if Miles proves himself to my liking, you'll have your date."

Randy sighed. "Why me?"

Duo laughed. "Come on Randy, at least he still has a pulse."

Randy couldn't keep the grin off her face. "That's true."

Hilde set down Duo's sandwich in front of him. "Enjoy your lunch dear," she said, turning to go back to the stove. 

Duo pulled her back by the waistband of her jeans until she fell into his lap. "I much rather eat lunch with you here," he stated reaching around her and taking a bite out his sandwich. 

Randy rolled her eyes and giggled at her mom's exasperated expression. She hopped off the stool and went back upstairs to her room. 

Hilde watched her leave. She looked back at Duo, who was still devouring the sandwich. "Can I get up or do I have to sit here and watch you eat?"

Duo glanced back up at her, his mouth full. He swallowed. "Yes, you have to stay here because," he said looking at his watch," I still have another half hour before I go back to the mill. And I want to eat my dessert too." He smirked at her as he took the last bite of the sandwich. "And can you guess what I want for dessert?"

She flushed. "Duo, we're not alone in the house and Randy is just upstairs," she hissed, trying to wriggle off his lap, but his arms tightened around her, preventing her escape. 

"Didn't stop us yesterday," he said nuzzling her neck with his lips. 

"Yesterday, we were in the study with the door locked," Hilde, protested weakly. "Right now we're in the kitchen and anyone could walk in."

"And what fun that desk chair was," Duo said trailing one hand up her arm while his teeth were nibbling on her ear.

"Duo, not now," she said again as she tried to get out of his embrace. She finally succeeded and took several steps back. "I have a lot of work to do and I don't need you turning my mind to mush."

"Mush huh?" he asked, grinning wickedly. 

Hilde took another few steps back when she saw that look of his. She looked back over at the table. The work she needed was on the table in front of him. _"Damn the luck." _She carefully made her way around to the side of the table, just out of his reach. She could feel his eyes on her as she made a grab for the papers in front of him. She felt his hand latch onto her wrist and she found herself tossed over his shoulder. "Duo put me down," she hissed as he walked up the steps. 

"If you won't let me have my dessert in the kitchen, I'll just have it bed," Duo said as he walked into their room, kicking the door closed behind him with his foot. He dropped her onto the bed before pinning her to it. 

She glared at him. "Baka," she growled, "Stop acting like a horny teenager."

He gave her a wounded expression, but then grinned roguishly. "Babe, when I'm around you I always feel like a horny teenager." And before she could protest anymore he kissed her, making sure that he turned her mind into "mush,"

******************************************************************************

Miles raked his hand through his hair as he walked back to the shop. He hadn't seen Duo return yet and he took that as a blessing. He set to work on the air conditioning unit on one of the trucks when he heard the door open behind him.He groaned a little to find Duo smirking at him. "You're back."

"Yup," Duo replied gleefully. "I see you're already hard at work once again," he said observing the smudges on Miles's hands. 

Miles only nodded his head. "Is there something you want done?" he asked, secretly dreading it. 

"No, not for the moment. Go back to your work," Duo said as he left, whistling all the way back to his office. He sat back down in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. He had liked his "dessert" very much, even though it was a quick one. It had been a while since he had made love to Hilde in the middle of the day. His lips quirked up into naughty smile. He so liked being bad. 

******************************************************************************

By six o'clock, Miles was on the verge of killing Duo. He had been called at least three to four times an hour to run an errand for Duo. He looked around at the work still waiting for him. He still had several engines to look at. Several more forklifts and a bunch of other odds and ends to work through and he had to finish them all, now in three days. "Duo keeps this up, I'll never finish all of this shit," he muttered as he left the shop, locking the door behind him. He walked towards the business office, where he could see the "boss from Hell" waiting for him. 

Duo could see the annoyance flickering in the emerald eyes of the eldest Barton as he walked towards him. "So how was your first day?" he asked nonchalantly as they climbed into the Suburban.

Miles gritted his teeth. "It was fine," he said, counting to ten in his head. 

A smirk crossed Duo's lips, knowing that Miles was trying not to strangle him with his braid. "Tomorrow won't be as bad," he said, thinking of several other tasks that he could make Miles do tomorrow. 

The drive back to the Maxwell's house was silent. 

******************************************************************************

Duo pulled into the garage and jumped out. "Want to stay for dinner?" he asked over his shoulder as he walked into the mudroom.

"Dinner?" Miles questioned as he followed him in. He saw Hilde and Randy at the stove making dinner. His eyes went to Duo. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do," Duo said, going over to Hilde and pressing a kiss on her cheek. He saw the look she gave him out of the corners of her eyes. He gave her an innocent smile before dropping down into a chair. "So what are we having babe?"

Hilde glanced over her shoulder at him. "Stew," she replied. She glanced over at Miles. "Why don't you sit down dear, you look a little exhausted," she said sympathetically as she put down the knife she was using to cut the vegetables and got him a glass of water. 

"Thank you," Miles said gratefully, drinking the cool water down. His eyes went to Randy's back as she cut some more vegetables and put them in the huge pot on top of the stove. 

Randy could feel his eyes on her. She smiled secretly to herself. 

Hilde passed Duo a dirty look on her way back to the stove. "So how did your day go Miles?" she asked. 

That question almost made Miles choke. "Fine," he sputtered, earning a concerned look from Hilde and Randy. He saw the both of them give Duo a glare that would freeze the Mediterranean, which made him smile inwardly. 

******************************************************************************

Dinner was soon ready and Jonathon and David were called down.

Miles sat down across from David and between Hilde and Jonathon. "Where's Chris?" he asked as Hilde ladled some stew into his bowl.

"Chris is having dinner at the Yuy's again," Hilde replied as she sat down at the end of the table. 

Miles glanced briefly in Randy's direction. He didn't want Duo to take notice. 

Duo did take notice as he observed the surreptitious glances Miles were passing Randy's way. He also noticed that Randy was doing the same thing. An idea grew in his head and he smiled evilly to himself.

Hilde noticed the looks too. And she also noticed Duo's expression. She could see the wheels turning in his head. _"He's up to something as usual."_ She wished she were sitting closer to Duo so she could kick him in the shins. 

_ _

Jonathon was curious on why his dad had even invited Miles to dinner. As much as he knew, his dad still wouldn't mind having Miles's head on a silver platter. _"What is dad playing at?"_

_ _

David watched as Randy cast another furtive look at Miles. He looked over at Jonathon, asking him with his eyes if he had any idea what was going on. The look he sent him meant he didn't. _"I would very much like to know what is going on here?"_

Randy smiled as she ate. She was glad that Miles was sitting at the table with her. She wished she were sitting closer to him. 

And for once at the Maxwell household, dinner was unusually quiet.

Duo leaned back in his chair. "That was a good dinner babe," he complimented Hilde, smiling at her. 

"Thank you," Hilde replied, still trying to figure out what was up Duo's sleeve. 

Duo glanced at Randy. "Sweetheart, isn't it your turn to clear the table?"

"Yes," Randy sighed as she stood and began collecting the bowls. She walked around the table, picking them up. 

Miles felt her silky hair slide over his shoulder as she took his bowl and it took every ounce of willpower not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless and to hell with the consequences. His eyes met hers briefly as she took Jonathon's bowl from him and put them in the dishwasher. 

Duo saw Miles's reaction. He knew it was taking everything the boy had not to go after Randy. He smiled smugly. He was throwing temptation right into Miles's path and he wanted to see how well he restrained himself. _"Very well indeed." _

Hilde saw that smug smile cross her husband's lips. She had seen Miles's reaction to Randy and she suddenly knew why Duo had their daughter collect the bowls. _"The baka. He's using Randy as a test for Miles. Damn the man for being the devil incarnate."_

_ _

Randy looked over her shoulder at Miles, who glanced back. She smiled at him as he whipped his head back around again. 

Miles caught Duo's eyes on him. One brow rose in question. He smiled weakly and slid down in his seat a little.

Hilde sighed, shaking her head. "Does anyone want any dessert?" she asked.

"No thanks mom, that stew of yours is pretty filling," Jonathon replied as he pushed his chair back. He left the kitchen, shaking his head. "That was the oddest dinner I've been to," he muttered as he went to his room. 

"David?" Hilde asked.  
  


"No thanks mom. I'm going out with Kellie tonight and getting some ice cream," David replied as he pushed back his chair. "Dinner was good though," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Bye dad," he called over his shoulder as he grabbed his keys.

"Bye," Duo called back as he watched David leave. "I would like some dessert Hilde," he said giving her a rakish grin. 

"You already had some," Hilde replied somewhat hotly as she got up from her chair and walked past him. She felt a sharp smack land on her rump. She turned and glared at Duo, who gave her his angelic/devil like smile. "Baka," she hissed at him as she went to the fridge and pulled out some apple pie. "Do you want any Miles?" she asked. 

Miles shook his head at what he just witnessed. It was obvious where all four Maxwell children got their attitudes and personalities. "No thank you Hilde. I think I should be on my way home. Thank you for letting me stay for dinner," he said as he pushed back his chair. He gave Randy a brief glance before looking back at Duo. "Do you want me here at seven thirty tomorrow?"

"Yes, seven thirty will be fine," Duo replied, watching the look that passed between his daughter and Miles. 

"I'll see you then Duo. Good night Hilde," Miles said tilting his head in her direction and then looked at Randy. "Randy," he said tipping his head to the side and giving her a quick smile before opening the kitchen door. He gave her a quick wink before he closed it.

Randy smiled broadly as she watched him leave. She went to the window and watched as the lights on his car came on. When he disappeared from view, she couldn't help the slight sigh that escaped her lips. "I would like some dessert mom to take up to my room," she said softly. 

Hilde handed Randy a piece before she walked upstairs. She turned to look at Duo. "That wasn't very nice of you," she chided as she put the pie back in the fridge. "Throwing Randy in his path when you know he can't touch her."

"At least it not dangerous," Duo said getting up from his chair. He leaned over her shoulder as she took a bite of her slice of pie. "And I'm keeping it within reason," he said giving her bottom a squeeze before leaving the kitchen to go watch television. 

She stuck her tongue out at the back of his head. "Men," she muttered as she ate another forkful of pie. 

******************************************************************************

Miles drove home with the top down on his convertible. He let the wind toss his hair. It felt good. He had noticed Duo's evil smile during dinner. And a thought struck him. _"Duo was throwing Randy in my path to see how well I handled temptation. **Got that right. And you wanted to touch too. **I did, but I restrained myself. Duo's a wily bastard. He knows exactly what he's doing and he's enjoying every second of it.**Got that right too. He would get a perverse amount of pleasure in making me squirm. **And all for the love of Randy. **The things you do for that tempting little package. **You're telling me!" _"Hopefully tomorrow won't be any worse then today," he sighed.

******************************************************************************

Randy sat on her bed, slowly eating the apple pie. She smiled when she thought of Miles's wink and smile. She wanted to kiss that smile very badly. _"Hopefully in a few days, I can actually do that. I hope dad says yes. **Well you do want to do more then kiss him. **Stop it! I know, but I have to get through this first before I can do anything with him. **Yeah, but it won't stop your fantasies about it. **No it won't. I wonder why dad was smiling like he was up to something at dinner. **Do I have to spell it out for you? He was using you as temptation. He was throwing you directly into Miles's path to see what he would do. **Oh so that was it. No wonder mom looked a little ticked with him." _She laughed to herself, falling back on the plush pillows of her bed. "Only a few more days Miles and you'll be all mine," she said getting that wicked smile on her face, one that was very reminiscent of her dad's when he when he was being bad and knew it. 

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed that part! I really made Duo into such a devil, but you can't help but love the guy for being bad! Stay tuned for more coming soon!


	11. Personal Questions

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 10

Miles flopped back on the dirty floor. "Finally! I'm all done the work in the shop!" A relieved smile crossed his face. He had never been so happy in his entire life. He glanced at his watch. It was ten of six. "Ten more minutes of this hell and then I can go home," he said gleefully. 

Duo smirked at Miles, who hadn't noticed that he had come in. He would admit that he was impressed by the boy's determination. It showed that he had backbone. And when you were dealing with the devil like him, one had to have it. "So, are you ready to leave and complete the last task?" he asked, as he leaned against the doorframe. 

Miles sat up and looked over his shoulder at Duo. He knew what the last part of the tasks was. He would have to take a written test as well. "Don't you want to inspect what I've done?" he asked as he stood up.

"Why not," Duo replied as he walked around the equipment that Miles had fixed. He nodded his head approvingly. "Not to bad for also being at my beck and call for the past four days."

Miles let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you think so," he said, watching Duo look over everything. He cracked his knuckles absently. "So what exactly is going to be on the second part of my testing?"

Duo looked up at him and shrugged. "Oh a number of things. Plenty of questions, but I won't tell you what's on it. Don't want to give it away," he said giving Miles a smile. 

A slight chill went down Miles's spine when he saw that smile. "Are you finished so we can go?" he asked. 

"Eager aren't you?" Duo asked, smirking a little. "Yeah, I'm ready to go," he said as he walked out of the shop towards the Suburban. 

Miles locked the door behind him as he followed Duo out. He climbed into the SUV next to him, wondering what was in store for him when he arrived at the Maxwell residence. _"It would be so like him to put some difficult questions on that test. The man is more then the devil incarnate, he actually is the devil." _

Duo smiled to himself. He had stayed awake most of last night, thinking of questions to put on paper for Miles to answer. Hilde had rolled her eyes at him when she rolled over and looked at him last night. He had even asked her for input but she shook her head and told him that this was his idea, he would have to do it himself. He watched the scenery in front of him as he drove back to his home. He was hungry for one and he wanted to relax. Thinking of ways to make Miles absolutely miserable was tiring. _"In a way I'm glad that Hilde didn't have a father around to do this to me or else I would have gotten nowhere with her. He probably wouldn't have let me near her within a ten mile radius." _He had to chuckle at that. Not like it didn't take awhile for Hilde to completely trust him. And he understood why she had waited until his eighteenth birthday to gift him with her virginity, but up until that point she still slept in the same bed as him. It was almost a test within itself to see if he could sleep next to her without having his hands roaming. Which he passed with a great deal of effort and more cold showers then he had thought possible. And in a way he was glad that he had to work for it. Too many girls just fell into bed with him and he hadn't wanted the woman that he loved to fall into the same category. He stole a glance at Miles and smirked. _"Miles has it easy as well. Too many girls are willing to fall into bed with him. I'm going to make sure that my daughter is not one of them. My sons have it easy too, but Chris and Victoria are crazy about each other even when they're trying to kill each other. Jonathon dates a different girl every week and David is dating Kellie. Wonder how good old Zechs is reacting to that!" _

Miles was the first to get out of the Suburban when it arrived at Duo's home. He followed the older man around the back of the garage where there was music blasting from the other garage. His eyes widened when he saw that Randy was washing her Jeep in a pair of very faded cutoffs and a bikini top. _"Damn she looks good. **Better not let Duo see that you're drooling. **Yeah I know or else it's my ass." _He quickly looked over at Duo, who was eyeing him. He shrugged and walked quickly through the back gate to the kitchen door. "Hi Randy," he called over his shoulder, not wanting to look at her again, afraid if he did, he would toss care to the wind and kiss her silly right in front of Duo. 

******************************************************************************

Randy watched Miles as he passed. She saw him keep his head down and his eyes averted. A slight smile touched her lips as she glanced back at her dad. "Hello Miles," she called back, almost laughing when all he did was shake his head to show that he had heard her. The kitchen door closed with a soft slam. "You did this on purpose," she said accusingly, arching a brow at her dad. 

"Who? Me?" Duo replied innocently, giving Randy an angelic smile that would usually work on Hilde as well. 

"Don't pull that crap dad, I know it was. You can't fool me anymore then you can fool mom," she snorted as she turned the hose off. 

Her remark made him laugh heartily. "Can't pull the wool over your eyes either. Damn that smile would usually work on your mother."

"That was before I knew what you were capable of when you gave me that smile," answered Hilde, leaning against the gatepost. 

Duo took in the sight of his wife. She was wearing a sleeveless blue button down shirt with jeans and black slide sandals. Her hair was pulled up into a bun on the top of her head with strands of ebony touching her cheeks. She was a pretty package and she was all his. "But you love me anyway," he said, giving her a puppy dogface.  


Hilde rolled her eyes. "Well come on hurry up. I made hamburgers for dinner," she said turning on her heel and going back into the kitchen. 

Duo looked after her and then looked back at his daughter. "You'll be in soon?"

"Yes, I'll be in," Randy replied, stifling her laughter behind her hand at the exchange between her parents. She watched her dad left her alone in the driveway. She smiled wryly and smoothed her hands over her attire. She went over and picked up the shirt she had thrown over the fence post and pulled it on. She would let her Jeep dry in the setting sun. She walked in bare feet on the stone path that led to the kitchen door. Once inside she could smell the tantalizing aroma of well-grilled beef. She looked over at Miles, who was sitting in the chair, sipping out of his glass of water. _"Dad must have worked him really hard again today. I'm so glad that this is finally over."_

Miles heard Randy come in, but he didn't look up at her. He could see her bare feet as she walked across the linoleum flooring and went over to the pantry. He could see the deep red nail polish on her toes. _"I wonder if her feet are ticklish?" _He choked back his laughter from that thought.

Randy looked over her shoulder at Miles curiously. She saw that he was looking at the floor grinning to himself. _"I wonder why he has that grin on his face for?"_

******************************************************************************

Dinner was soon over. Too quickly for Miles, who was half dreading and half anticipating on what kinds of questions he had to answer. 

"Are you ready to take your test Miles?" Duo asked as he pushed his chair away from the table. 

Miles swallowed. "Yes, I'm ready," he replied as he followed Duo out of the kitchen to the study. He glanced once over his shoulder at Randy and Hilde. Both women gave him a sympathetic smile. He swallowed again as he sat down on the couch. 

Duo printed out the test from the computer, grinning as he handed it to Miles. "Take as long as you need to complete this," he replied as he also gave Miles a pencil. He started to leave the room. "Oh and good luck Miles," he said over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door and chuckled. 

******************************************************************************

Miles looked down at the test in his hands. It consisted of twenty questions. He sighed as he carefully began to read them and fill them out.

FULL NAME: Miles Triton Barton AGE: 19 HEIGHT: 6'3" WEIGHT: 198lbs. 

BLOOD TYPE: B+ DATE OF BIRTH: April 1, A.C 201 

    1. When did you start dating? 15
    2. How many girls have you dated? More then two dozen
    3. When did you lose your virginity? 17

Miles paused briefly at the next question. "The man doesn't beat around the bush does he?" he muttered under his breath as he tapped the eraser end on the paper. "How should I answer this one?"

    4. How many girls have you slept with? Between six and ten
    5. Were those girls' blonds, brunettes, red heads, etc? Most of them were brunettes.
    6. Were any of those girls virgins? No.
    7. Have any of those girls ever come back and claimed that you were the father of a child? No.
    8. What has been the longest time you've stayed with one girl? Six months.
    9. Did you cheat on her?

Miles cringed when he reread question nine. He wasn't going to lie, but he really didn't want Duo to know that. "Unfortunately for you Miles, you don't have much of a choice," he said to himself as he put the pencil back to the paper.

    10. Did you cheat on her? Yes. I was drunk though. 
    11. What is my daughter's full name? Miranda Elizabeth Maxwell. 
    12. How old is she? 16, she's three years younger then me.
    13. When did you start noticing her? When I came home from college this summer. She looked prettier then I remembered. I couldn't believe how much she really changed since the last time I saw her. 
    14. How many times have you kissed her? I didn't keep count.

Miles cringed again. "I'm being truthful at least."

    15. Have you ever fantasized about her? Well, you won't kill me if I say yes, will you?
    16. Do you want to sleep with my daughter? 

"Man, this sucks! If I say yes, he'll kill me," he gritted out. He chewed on the end of the pencil. "But I'm not going to lie either."

    1. Do you want to sleep with my daughter? I would be lying if I said no. But she wears a chastity ring and I won't touch her. 
    2. Would you fight for her, die for her, etc.? Yes.
    3. Do you love her? Yes, I love her. I would do anything for her. I don't know how it happened. I just fell like a rock for Randy. 
    4. Do you know what would happen to you if you hurt her? Yes, you would probably have my head on a silver platter after you've broken every bone in my body. Your sons would probably help too. 
    5. Do you have medical coverage, just in case of any event that you hurt her? Yes.

I, of sound mind and body, proclaim that every answer on this questionnaire is answered truthfully and to the best of my ability. Any untruthful answer will be dealt with accordingly. And until these replies are reviewed, I will not have any contact with Miranda Elizabeth until further notice. And if that rule is not complied with, the giver of the test has the right to revoke any contact with her and to make good on his promise to break every bone in the applicant's body. 

SIGNATURE: _Miles Triton Barton _DATE: _Aug. 17, A.C 220_

Miles sighed and put down the test. "Man, I hope I never have to go through that again. I swear the man is more sadistic then I give him credit for." He went over to the door and opened it. He walked out with the test in hand. He poked his head into the kitchen, where he heard voices. He saw Duo sitting on the chair with Hilde on his lap, talking quietly. He cleared his throat. "I'm finished," he announced. 

Duo looked over at Miles. "Oh so you are," he said with a smirk. "Bring it over here, I don't want to make Hilde move."

Hilde rolled her eyes at Duo as Miles came over and handed the test to her. She hadn't seen the questions that Duo had put on it. She read some of them and gave him an incredulous look. "Duo these are…"

Duo gave Hilde a smile. "I know, very personal. They had to be."

Miles gritted his teeth a little. "Is there anything else I need to do before I go home?" he asked, trying his best not to glare at him. 

Duo's smirk returned at the effort Miles was making not to choke him. "No that's all," he replied as he gave the test a quick scan. He looked back up at Miles. "This is fine. I'll look over it once you're gone. And I'll give you my answer as soon as possible."

Miles nodded. "All right then. I'll be waiting for your reply," he said as he picked up his keys from the counter. "Night Hilde," he said, giving her a nod, "Duo," he said as he walked out the door. 

******************************************************************************

Hilde turned and looked at Duo. "Duo those questions were very personal. I don't know why you even had to ask some of them," she said in exasperation. 

"They're for me to make a decision on whether or not I should let our underage daughter go out with a nineteen year old male," he stated as he began reading the test with his arms still wrapped around her. 

"But Duo didn't Miles going to work with you prove anything?" she asked putting her hand over the test. 

"It did and it didn't. That was to see how much of crap he would take from me. He had to take it all. He knew what would happen if he didn't. The test was for more personal things, I want to know exactly what he's done in the past and how he'll treat Randy if I let him date her," Duo said as he removed Hilde's hand from the paper. He continued to look at the answers. "My, my he really was a Romeo wasn't he," he chuckled softly. "Sounds a lot like me."

Hilde looked down and read some of the answers as well. "Yup they sound like you all right," she said wryly.

"Hey!" he protested when he heard the wry tone in her voice. "Remember once I got you I never even looked at another woman again," he said as he nuzzled her neck. "You're the one I chose above them all. I married you and I love you more then ever."

She sighed as she felt his words against her neck. "I love you too," she replied as she pressed a kiss on the top of his head. "And yes, you married me, but not before you chased everything in sight."

"Babe, I was a horny teenager and I did chase a lot of girls. But none of them ever meant more then you. Remember, I always came home to you every night. And you're the only woman I've told I loved her," Duo said solemnly as he rubbed his one finger over her wedding band. "Why are you getting all depressed on me all of a sudden?" he asked turning his attention away from the test and looking up into her flawless face. There were some lines here and there, but they were hardly discernable to him. 

"I don't know. I'm just…" Hilde started to say, but she looked away from the intensity of his cobalt eyes. "It just brings back some unpleasant memories that's all."

"Of the other girls," he said, laying the test on the table. He reached up and grasped her chin gently between his fingers, so she would look at him. "Baby, I know I probably broke your heart so many times then. And I am sorry for every time that I did. I will always be sorry for that. But you're the one that I love. You've been the woman who's owned my heart and soul since I met you even if it did take me two years to admit it to myself and to you," he said as he smoothed his thumb over her lips. "Believe me I would walk to hell and back for you. I would do anything for you. That's why I'm doing this to Miles. I don't want Randy's heart to get broken the way I broke yours so many times. I want to make sure that Miles loves her as much as he says he does. I want him to treat her better then I had treated you," he said leaning up a little and placing a light kiss on her lips. 

Hilde placed her arms around his neck and hugged him close. She knew he meant what he said. It wasn't often that he would express what he was really feeling with words. And when he did, it made her love him all the more. "I understand Duo," she said as she felt his hands rub up and down her back. "Just don't be so hard on him for his answers. He answered truthfully like you wanted him too."

"I won't. I'll be as fair as I can be," Duo replied against her neck. He pressed another kiss on her smooth skin before leaning away. He looked up into her thickly fringed cornflower eyes. "Why don't you get me some dessert while I look this over, okay babe?"

She sighed and kissed his forehead. "Always thinking about food," she said as she got up off his lap. She felt a firm smack on her rear end. She turned and tried to give him a glare, but it turned into an adoring look when he smiled back unrepentantly. 

Duo looked back down at the test. He arched a brow when he looked at the reply for question number nine. And he couldn't help but scowl a little when he read the replies for questions fifteen and sixteen. "At least he's honest," he muttered under his breath. 

Hilde went back over to him and set the bowl of French vanilla ice cream in front of him. She noted his scowl and looked at the questions he was reading. She looked at him. "Well you did ask," she pointed out as she sat back down on his lap again. 

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," he replied tightly. 

"Duo, stop complaining and eat," she sighed as she stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his open mouth.

******************************************************************************

Randy sat in front of her computer, typing in a program that she knew would improve security for the Yuy household since she seemed to crack it every time. The glow of the screen reflected off of her glasses. For years she hadn't needed them, but in the past two, she finally had to get them. She spent a great deal of time in front of a computer and the eyestrain had finally caught up to her. She sighed as she scratched her nose with her nails. She heard Miles leave. She looked out the window as he climbed into his convertible. He seemed to pause for a moment and rest his head on the steering wheel. She smiled a little. _"I love you Miles."_

Miles felt someone's eyes on him when he sat in his car. He looked up and saw her looking at him from her window. He tilted his head towards her to show that he had noticed. He looked around him quickly and got out of the car once again. He walked over to a tree that was outside her one window. The only thing was, the tree could be seen from the kitchen windows. He peered in and saw Duo and Hilde deep in conversation and with speed; he climbed up the tree and walked effortlessly on a branch towards her window. She had pushed it up and she was leaning out. "Hey," he said, resting his arms on the sill. 

"Hey yourself," she replied. "I'm glad that you won't have to do anymore testing."

"So am I," he said, tugging on a lock of her hair that escaped her ponytail.

"Well just pray that my dad says yes after all of this," Randy said, pushing her glasses back up on her nose. 

Miles tilted his head a little and looked at her. "You know this is the first time I've seen you wear glasses."

"Yeah, I had to get them because of the time I spend looking at a computer monitor. That's why my mom had to start wearing them too," she said as she finally took them off and let them dangle from her fingers. 

"You look cute with them," he said, giving her a grin. He looked back down at the light flooding the grass from the kitchen. "Look I probably have to go now. I liked being able to talk to you without feeling like your dad will kill me for doing so," he said rubbing her cheek with the back of his hand. "Well I hope to see you tomorrow night at the Festival."

"You're not jealous that your brother asked me to go with him, are you?" Randy asked as she looked into his green eyes. 

"Naw, that's all right. I am a little jealous that he's always seemed to have such easy access to you when I have to work so hard to do so. But I want you to have fun tomorrow night and not worry about me. Who knows, your dad might hand me an answer then," he sighed. "But I have to go now." He leaned away from the sill and stood up straight. 

"Miles wait," she called softly. 

Miles turned around and looked at her. The moon made her light skin glow and her eyes sparkle. "Yes?"

"Good night," Randy said as she leaned out of her window a little and kissed him. 

It was a long sweet kiss. He lifted his mouth away from hers. He smiled. "I love you Randy," he whispered.

"Love you too," she said as she watched him walk along the branch and slide down the trunk. She continued to watch as he climbed back into his car and speed away. She sighed and closed her window. "Please say yes dad," she said to herself before she sat back down in front of her computer. 

__

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for me to get this out. I've been real busy with work and all. So I hope you guys like this installment and stay tuned for the night of the Festival coming up next! XOXOX!


	12. The Festival, Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids

_Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids!_

_ _

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 11 

**_ _**

"Owww, damn friggin' curling iron," Randy hissed as she sucked her burnt index finger in her mouth. "Who invented those things anyway?" she asked herself as she pulled out her finger and examined her reddened fingered. Her normally long and straight midnight locks were piled on top of her head, twisted into curls by the curling iron. One silky curl dangled by her ear as it refused to stay up. "Some days I curse the fact that my hair is as slippery as my mom's and as thick as my dad's," she said as she frowned at the wayward strand. "Oh, to hell with it." She let the curl go as she went back into her room and slipped on her dark blue heeled sandals. She observed her reflection in the mirror on the back of her door. The crepe de chine dress that matched her eyes swirled about her mid thigh. She adjusted the one strap that held the dress up. She smiled again, finally satisfied with her appearance. "Hope dad doesn't flip when he sees this dress, but then again who said I wasn't a little devil," she smirked as she went down back stairs into the kitchen. She could see Donavon's russet hair glinting under the light. He was talking to her dad. "Hello, I'm ready," she called out. 

Donavon turned around first and almost had to hold his chin up with his hand to keep it from falling to the floor. He smiled and walked over to her, offering his hands to her. "Randy, you look absolutely beautiful," he said as she took them. 

"Why thank you Donavon," she said as she gave him a bright smile. She squeezed his hands affectionately. She looked over at her dad. "Well dad, what do you think?" she asked as she turned around.

Duo was speechless for a moment. "Well I guess I would have to say…you look wonderful," he said as he took her hand and kissed it. "You look as lovely as your mother."

"Only lovely?" Hilde asked as she leaned against the doorframe. She smiled at him.

He was rendered speechless yet again. Her simple black sundress danced about her trim ankles. It was tied about her slender neck. Her hair was pulled back, leaving some wisps of hair to trail down her neck. "Lovely was an understatement, you look gorgeous babe," he said as he went over to her and kissed her lightly. "And good enough to eat too," he whispered against her ear. 

Hilde blushed a little. "I would think so," she said as she laughed softly as she pulled away briefly. "I don't do this just for me."

Duo grinned and kissed her again. He looked over at Randy and Donavon, both shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. "You two better start on your way," he said. 

"You just want mom all to yourself," Randy said teasingly.

"He's right though, we should go. I want to get a good parking spot," Donavon said as he pulled out his keys from shirt pocket. The steel colored shirt brought out the gray in his eyes. 

"All right, we'll see you later," Randy said as she linked her arm though Donavon's and left. 

Duo looked after her and the younger Barton. He still had his arms around Hilde. He looked down at his petite wife and kissed her again. This time slower and longer. He lifted his head away from her so that his lips were barely touching hers. "I love you."

Hilde smiled against his mouth. "I love you too Duo," she said as she leaned up a little and brushed her nose against his. 

He did the same. "Did I tell you I like that dress?" 

"Last time I remember you saying that, you just wanted to take the dress off me," she said lightly. 

"True. Why mess with something that works as well as flattery? It goes good with the right kind of kiss," Duo replied, kissing the tip of her nose. 

"Uh uh, You're not seducing me out of the dress that easily tonight braided one. I want to be able to go to the shops while there's still good things there," Hilde said as she effectively twisted out of his arms. 

"You want to shop?" he groaned, following her into the garage. He still hated shopping. He dreaded it. 

"Oh, it's not so bad love. If you do, say you like my dress later and maybe, just maybe will I let you to seduce me out of it," she smirked as she leaned against the cool metal of her Tahoe. 

"That a promise?" Duo asked as he pressed her between him and her car. He was grinning wickedly. 

"Try and find out," Hilde replied huskily as she leaned up and gave him a teasing kiss before ducking under his arms. 

He grinned as he helped her into the Tahoe and got in beside her. He leaned across the console and kissed her on the lips again. "Can't help it when you look like that."

She shook her head, but smiled broadly at him anyway. "Come on. I have some shopping to do."

"Whatever you say babe. Whatever you say," Duo said as he pulled out of the garage and drove towards the town. 

******************************************************************************

Donavon looked over at Randy again. The wind tugged gently at her hair, making a few curls dance about her face. He drove a vintage Saab that he had bought for practically nothing and fixed up himself. It was the color of gunmetal with black leather seats. He smiled as Randy put her arms up in the air. "So, do you think that your dad will give my brother an answer?" he asked as he looked back at the road. 

Randy looked over at him. "I certainly hope so. I want an answer before Miles goes back to college in two weeks," she replied as she brought her arms back down. She laced her fingers together on her lap and looked over at him. "Did it sound like my dad is going to say yes when you were talking to him while you were waiting for me?"

He shrugged. "No, didn't even mention it," he said. He looked out of the corner of his eyes at her as she frowned. He pulled into a parking spot near the beach. He looked at her fully as he placed his hand on her bare shoulder. "Don't worry about it Randy. Everything will be fine. Now smile. I want you to have a good time," he said as he got out of the car and went around to help her out. He resolutely kept his eyes off of her legs as she got out. He tucked her arm through his. "Now what do you want to do first? Dancing or…shopping?" he asked, cringing. 

"Definitely dancing," she laughed when she saw his relieved expression. Her small beaded purse dangled from around her left wrist. She looked up at him as they walked towards the town square. "Donavon, why are you so good to me?" she asked.

Donavon smiled down at her. "Because you're my closest and by far the prettiest friend I've ever had," he replied as they got closer to the square. The music could be heard now. Thrumming throughout the brightly lit streets. 

Randy gave him a grateful smile as she walked beside him. The shops and the streets were filled with people. She loved going to the Festival. She loved the shopping and the dancing. Especially the dancing. "Come on Donavon. I want to dance," she said as she started walking a little faster. She pulled him along until they reached the park that was situated in the middle of the town. The dance floor was made of slate and it was raised up above the grass and surrounded by tables. 

Neither one of them saw Miles, step out of the shadows of the trees. He felt his heart swell when he saw Randy's happy expression as she pulled his brother out to the dance floor. He chuckled. "That woman could make any guy do what she wants, especially if she's dressed like that," he said to himself. He let his eyes travel over her slim figure. 

"Come on Donavon," Randy said as she tossed her purse on the table where she had recognized Veronica's and Carin's stuff. She could see Chris and Victoria dancing on the other side of the dance floor. It was a slow tempo song. She slipped her hand into his and felt his hand come to rest on the small of her back. She felt comfortable with dancing close to him. She had for years. 

Donavon sighed as he danced with her. He was tall like his brother was, which meant that Randy's forehead was level with his chin. He could smell the fresh peach scent of her shampoo as her hair chose to brush against his face in the light breeze. She pushed away from him and he spun her around slowly, before pulling her back. "Having fun yet?" he asked as he looked down at her. 

She looked up at him. "Yes, I'm having fun," she replied as he turned her out again and she spun under his arm before being pulled against him again. She tilted her head to one side. "Does Miles dance as good as you?"

He shook his head. "No. He hated ballroom dancing. He's not a bad dancer, but he tries to avoid it as much as possible. Unless he's with a beautiful woman," he answered as the slow song came to an end. A faster paced song with a Latin beat came up. He saw the look she gave him. "You want to put the others to shame now?" he asked, grinning a little. 

"You bet I do," Randy said as she began to move her hips in time with the music. She began laughing as Donavon spun her around on the dance floor. 

Soon they were the only ones on the floor, everyone having cleared it to watch. 

Chris rolled his eyes. "She's such a show off," he sighed as he watched his sister.

"Not much different then you," Victoria replied, kissing his chin. She laughed when he scowled a little. 

Miles was watching as well. In a way he envied his younger brother because he had easy access to Randy. He watched how effortless they moved together and how comfortable they seemed. _"Admit it, you're jealous. **No I'm not. You're not? ****All right, I am a little jealous. Only a little? ****Ok, ok, a lot! Happy now!" He watched how Donavon's hands settled on her hips as he turned her. He growled in frustration and annoyance, wishing it was him dancing with her like that.**_

******************************************************************************

Duo followed Hilde into another shop. He was already carrying two bags. He sighed as he shifted them in his hand, hoping that she wouldn't go in that antique shop up ahead. He heard her yell in delight. "Damn! Too late," he mumbled, cringing a little. He waited outside. He raised his eyes skywards. "I hope she doesn't buy something too expensive." He heard her call his name. "Man, now what did she see." He went into the shop and looked around. "Babe? Babe, where are you?"

"Here," Hilde replied as she popped up from behind a stack trunks. She smiled at him. "Duo come here. I found something."

"What doesn't she find?" he sighed to himself as he went over to her. "What?"

"How about this?" she asked as she stood up straight and pointed to the bassinet.

Duo choked. When he finally regained his power of speech he looked at her. "WHAT? You're not pregnant are you?" he almost yelled, earning looks from other patrons.

Hilde flushed first. "No, not for us baka! For Chris and Victoria when they have a baby of their own," she hissed at him. She rolled her eyes. "Geez Duo, you're not usually the one given to hysterics. That's my job." 

He looked at her again like she was crazy. "Hilde, they're not even engaged yet! What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know. But Relena and I have been talking about our children getting married. I mean it is inevitable that Chris will marry Victoria. They can barely keep their hands off each other as it is. It's only a matter of time before he asks her to marry him and gets her pregnant," she said as she shrugged. "I figure, it's nice to be prepared," she said pragmatically.

Duo looked back at the polished mahogany and sighed. "How much is it?"

Hilde smiled broadly and gave him a hug. "It's 300 credits," she replied excitedly. 

He rolled his eyes and pulled out his wallet and gave her the credit card. "Go on and get it. I'll put it in the car afterwards."

"I love you so much," she said as she pulled him down for a kiss before releasing him. "Can you carry it up to the counter for me?" she asked over her shoulder.

Duo shook his head and picked it up. "Man, the things I do for that woman." As soon as it was purchased, he went back to the Suburban and put it in the trunk. "Can I hope that there is nothing else you want?" he asked looking over his shoulder at her. 

Hilde shook her head. "I only just started," she said teasingly as she pulled him along. 

"That's what I was afraid of," he mumbled as he went along with her. 

******************************************************************************

Donavon spun Randy around faster. All he wanted to do was make sure she was having a good time. He dipped her and brought her back up. He could hear her laughter, which was what he wanted. He grinned when she walked around him, her hands smoothing over his shoulders before coming around to the front of him again, swinging her hips as she walked away from him. Then he grabbed both her hands, pulling her back, so that her back was against his chest. "I take it that you're having fun," he said as she leaned her head back and looked up at him. 

"Plenty," Randy replied, grinning broadly as she pulled away again, only to be brought back and dipped as the song ended. "You're a sweetheart Donavon," she said as she leaned up and gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek. 

He flushed a little from her kiss. "Thanks, I guess," he said as he led her from the dance floor back to the table. 

Miles smiled wryly at his brother's reaction. His brother was the complete opposite of him. He never blushed when girls kissed him. He had always kissed them back. That was where he and Donavon differed. The only girl that was very close to his brother was Randy. He would've thought his brother would've been the one to date Randy, but he never asked her. Never showed her or let anyone else think that there was anything but friendship between them. He grinned when he saw Randy laugh at his brother again as he pulled a chair out for her. He wished he could be closer right now, but he didn't know where Duo was and he wasn't going to screw up his chances by getting close to her. 

Donavon felt eyes on him. He looked up and saw Miles looking in his direction. He was gazing longingly at Randy. Donavon shook his head. "He's got it bad," he said under his breath. He looked back at Randy. "Want something to drink?" he asked as he stood. 

Randy nodded. "Sure. Get me one of those strawberry smoothies," she said as she handed him money. 

He shook his head. "Nope. I'll pay. Since I asked you to this, I'll do the honors of buying for you tonight. Like Miles, I believe the gentlemen should pay for his date," he said as he tugged on the wayward curl and walked off to get her drink. 

She watched him go with a thoughtful smile on her face. She felt a pair of hands settle on her shoulders. She looked up and saw Chris looking down at her. "What's up?" she asked. 

Chris frowned a little. "You know how short that skirt is? When Donavon was spinning you, you're skirt was up a little too high. You had all the guys staring at you," he said as he sat down. He pulled Victoria down onto his lap. 

Randy rolled her eyes. "Man, you're starting to sound like dad. I'm a big girl Chris. Besides I'm wearing boy cut shorts under this. You really think I wouldn't with a skirt this short and with the way that I dance?" she said disdainfully. She let out unladylike snort. 

Chris scowled at his baby sister. "Well someone has to keep an eye on you when dad isn't."

Victoria shook her head. "Honestly Chris. If your sister can almost kick the crap out of me, then she can pretty much take care of herself like I can."

"Babe, you're only comparing yourself to other women. Not guys," Chris pointed out. 

Victoria's Prussian blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh really?" she said before she elbowed him hard in the ribs. She saw him wince a little. "Care to say that again baka?"

Chris rubbed his ribs where she dug her elbow in. "All right. You could both probably take on some guys. Damn, remind me never to really piss you off. You got sharp elbows there baby."

Victoria smiled smugly. "That's what I thought you'd say."

Randy snorted again. "She's got you whipped."

"Who's got who whipped?" Donavon asked as he came back with Randy's drink. He sat down in the chair next to her. 

She looked over at him. "I was talking about Chris and Victoria here. I said that she has my brother whipped."

Donavon couldn't help but snicker, when he saw the indignant look cross Chris's face and the smirk on Victoria's. He choked back his laughter when he saw Chris turn a glare at him. "Sorry," he said as he sipped his root beer. 

"Oh don't be a spoilsport. I still love you," Victoria said as she kissed Chris's nose. 

Chris sulked for a moment, before kissing her soundly on the lips, making his sister and Donavon roll their eyes. 

"You know when they're not trying to kill each other, they can't keep their hands off each other," sighed Randy as she sipped her cold drink. 

Donavon nodded his head in agreement. He looked over his shoulder again. He could still see Miles, looking at Randy. He sighed. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he stood.

"Sure," Randy replied as she watched him go, with curiosity written on her pretty features.

******************************************************************************

Miles saw Donavon walk towards him. He grinned slightly. "And what do I owe the honor of your presence little brother?" 

Donavon shook his head. "Nothing really. I can see you've been staring at Randy the entire time."

"I haven't been the only one," Miles said as he looked at the other guys, still casting looks in her direction. 

"Most of these guys know who she is and know that to them, she is completely unattainable," Donavon replied seriously as he saw her laughing when the other two Maxwell brothers arrived with their dates in tow. Veronica, Carin, Vaughn, and Jet were also over there. 

"Unattainable is right," Miles mumbled as he leaned his head back and looked up into the night sky. "And it would make most guys wonder why you seem to have no trouble attaining her."

"Luck I guess. I've been dancing with her since I was eleven years old. And, I never acquired a reputation for being a lady-killer. Unlike you of course," Donavon pointed out.

"That's the distinct difference between us bro. You have no reputation, no girlfriends, no lovers, not really anything that deals with those types of vices," Miles said, looking back at his brother. "Which makes me wonder, how come you never asked out Randy? I mean, you had plenty of opportunities and Duo probably approves of you."

"I was just never in on the girl thing Miles. I like women very much. I just have other things that occupied my mind. My mind was never in the gutter like yours was," Donavon said wryly. "And as for Randy? I think she's a beautiful woman, but she's almost like a sister to me. And Duo knows it too."

Miles smirked a little. "You're telling me that you never had one X-rated thought about Randy in the last few years?"

Donavon smirked back. "No, not really. But I always thought she had nice legs."

"Not really is you're answer. The nice legs I agree with, but never?" Miles shook his head. "Are you sure I'm related to you?"

"Of course I am baka," Donavon sighed. "Just because I never had a fantasy about Randy doesn't mean I'm not related to you. I just don't think of women that way." He frowned for a moment. "Besides, shouldn't you be worried about Duo instead of why I differ from you on counts of women. I mean, he does get to tell you whether or not you get to date his little girl."

It was Miles's turn to frown. "I know that. Why do you think I'm over here instead of over there where she is. I know Duo's probably here. I would very much like him to give me an answer. I have to know if I'm allowed to date Randy."

"Well just keep in mind when you date her, you're going to have to keep your mind out of the gutter because you know what'll happen to you if you don't," Donavon warned. "And like Duo, I will hurt you if you hurt her in any way. So just keep that in mind."

Miles grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I would expect something like that from Randy's "brother," and my saint hearted little brother," he said jokingly as he patted Donavon on the back. 

******************************************************************************

Duo groaned again. "Never give a woman a credit card and let her shop," he mumbled under his breath. He was holding two bags with clothes in them. "How many clothes shops does she need to go into? She has more then enough."

"A women can never have too many clothes Duo," Hilde said she waited at the counter as the owner rang up her purchases. "Besides, you like it when I look good, yes?" she asked looking up at him through her lashes. 

"Yeah, but I like you in anything babe. You always look beautiful in anything you wear," he said and then he leaned down and whispered in her ear," and in nothing at all."

She blushed brightly at his comment. "Duo, behave yourself," she hissed as she handed him her third bag. She walked out of the store with him following her. She felt his eyes on her as she walked in front of him. She went into the shop where they sold oriental carpets. "Oh I like that one!" she exclaimed as she went over to a deep blue and gold one. She walked around it, smiling and nodding her head. "It would go wonderful in the dining room."

Duo frowned even more. "Hilde, you replaced the one in the dining room last year. We don't need a new one."

"But Duo, it would go perfect with the lighter blue walls and…"she was cut off when she felt his arms pick her up and put her over his shoulder. "DUO! Put me down!" she snapped at him. 

"No rug. For once baby, I'm putting my foot down. No more spending! I know we have plenty of money, but I don't want you to spend me out of house and home in one night!" he pointed out as he picked up the three bags with his other hand, while the other one kept her over his shoulder, as he walked out of the store. 

"Put me down you baka!" She squirmed, trying to move off his shoulder. 

Duo put her down on the cobbled street. He could see the fire in her eyes. He sighed. "Babe, enough is enough. Give me back my credit card?" he asked holding out his hand. She continued to glare at him with her arms crossed. "Hilde if you don't get it back, I can't buy something for you."

Hilde lowered her arms. "What do you mean, something for me?"

"How about I buy you an early anniversary present?" he asked.

"An early anniversary present?" She smiled and opened her purse and handed him back his credit card. 

Duo took it and slipped it back into his pocket. "Now, come on. You can pick it out," he said as he threaded his fingers through hers and they walked down the street. He walked her into a jewelry store. He saw her wide eyes. "Go on and pick something that you like. Within reason of course."

Hilde started looking around in the cases. She looked at the bracelets. She had a small collection of them now. At the moment she was wearing five of them. The first one was the combination of her birthstone and Duo's, a diamond and topaz bangle bracelet. The other four were of the birthstones of her children, each one had their names engraved on the inside. She smiled when she found the one that she liked. "Duo, I like this one," she said, pointing to a black and white opal bangle bracelet.

He looked over her shoulder. "That what you want babe?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied as he had the jeweler take it out of the case for her to look at better. She nodded her head. "Definitely this one Duo."

Duo grinned. "How much is the bracelet?" he asked.

"Sixteen hundred credits sir," the jeweler replied.

Duo nodded his head and handed the man his credit card. He looked back down at Hilde. "You want to wear it now or do you want them to put it in a box for you?"

"I want to wear it," Hilde replied happily as the jeweler came back with the receipt and papers for Duo to sign. 

"I'll go and clean this for you madam," the jeweler said as he took the bracelet to the back of the store to be cleaned. He brought it back after a few minutes and undid the clasp and slipped it over her wrist. 

"Thank you," Hilde answered as she held up her wrist to the light. The opals flashed different colors brilliantly before she brought her wrist back down. "Can I have a box for this as well?" And she watched as the man pulled out a black velvet box and put it in a bag for her. 

Duo handed the papers back to the jeweler and tucked his receipt back in his wallet along with his credit card. He looked down at his wife. "Are you ready to go now babe?"

"Yes," she said as she linked her arm through his as they walked out. As soon as they reached the middle of the street, she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "Thank you Duo. I love you so very much," she said against his mouth. 

"Love you too babe," he said as he kissed her again. He kissed the tip of her nose before he pulled away. He took her hand in his as they started walking down the street again. "I'm a little hungry now. How about I put the bags in the back of the car and we can go get something to eat?"

"That's fine," Hilde said as she followed him back to the car. As she watched him put the bags in, she leaned against the other door. "Duo, have you thought about what you're going to say to Miles yet?"

Duo closed the trunk door and turned to look at her. "I haven't really thought about it," he replied honestly as they began walking again. 

She sighed. "I really think you should tell him tonight. I mean you had him working for you, you made him take that test. I think it would be nice of you to tell him your answer."  
  


He shrugged his shoulders as they walked into the square itself. The music was playing loudly and couples were on the dance floor. He spotted Donavon and Randy, dancing. And over on the other side, was Miles, watching. He smiled a little. "I guess I will have to make up my mind," he said noting the jealous/lovesick expression on Miles's face as he watched the younger Barton dancing with his daughter. "But let me think about it a little more," he said to Hilde as he steered her in the direction of the food.

Hilde sighed. "Well don't take all night to do it," she warned lightly for she also noted the young man's expression. 

"Don't worry Hilde, I'll tell him before the night is through," Duo said as he took another look over at Miles. He smirked. "I'll just take up most of the night first."

_Author's Note: Sorry this took awhile to get out, but here it is! I'll have the second part of this out soon. I have so much to put for the Festival; I didn't want to make this first part too long. So I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more! XOXOXO!_


	13. The Festival, Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 11b

"I wish someone would put him out of his misery," said Jonathon as he observed Miles from his chair. 

Leigh rolled her eyes. "Someone should put you out of your misery, but you're still here aren't you," she said as she draped her arms about his neck. 

He turned and glared at his sometimes girlfriend. "And what was that supposed to mean Leigh?"

"Exactly the way that I meant it," she replied as her pale blue eyes narrowed at him. 

"Can't you two stop bitching at each other for one night?" asked Chris, who was still sitting with Victoria on his lap. "I mean all you two do is break up and get back together again and then some."

"Not my fault he's a baka Maxwell," Leigh said as she turned her nose up in the air. 

Jonathon gritted his teeth. "And it's not my fault you're born a justice touting Chang," he shot back. 

"Will you two stop it, I could see the sparks from the dance floor," said Randy as her and Donavon came back to the table. "You two need couple's therapy," she said as she sat down. 

"Like you should talk," Leigh snapped.

Randy shrugged her shoulders. "At least I would have a stable relationship. But you are a justice touting Chang and my brother is a baka."

"HEY!" Leigh and Jonathon exclaimed indignantly. 

The rest of the table burst out into laughter. 

Randy grinned and looked over in Miles's direction. She wished she could be over there with him. She had felt his eyes on her for most of the evening. Not like she minded or anything, but she wished he could be next her and looking at her. She sighed and sipped her drink, watching him over the rim of the glass. 

Miles saw Randy looking over at him. He smiled and raised his glass in the air in a subtle toast to her. He had watched her dance with his brother all evening and he was getting more and more anxious for Duo's answer and so far he hadn't even seen him. He saw Randy smile at his gesture. He had never seen her look so beautiful as she did tonight. She knew how to show herself off and she had made a definite impact on most of the men in the crowd when she danced. And it made him want to strangle every one of those men for even looking at her. "If anything, I definitely know how to choose the most beautiful woman to love," he said to himself. 

She smiled into her glass when she saw the toast to her. She looked over at his brother. "Donavon, would you be a love and go talk to Miles? He looks a little lonely over there," she said.

Donavon looked into Randy's deep cobalt eye and then looked over at his brother. He sighed. "All right," he said as he stood. He turned back to look at her. "Oh and while I'm talking with my brother, why don't you see if you can get Vaughn on the dance floor. He's been sitting out the whole time." He walked over towards his brother. 

"Sure," Randy replied, smiling at him. She looked over at the young Winner. "Vaughn, time to dance," she said in a singsong voice."

Vaughn looked at her with wide eyes. "Randy I don't feel…" but he was cut off when she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of his chair. 

"Don't be a spoilsport. I know you can dance and your skills are being wasted by not dancing," Randy said as she got him on the dance floor. 

"Never argue with a woman, who knows kick boxing," Vaughn said, grinning slightly as he grasped her hand. 

"I thought you might say that," she said as another Latin beat filled the air. 

******************************************************************************

Donavon walked over to his brother, glancing over his shoulder at his cousin and Randy, dancing. He looked back at Miles. "You know if you keep on staring at her like that you'll lose your sense of sight."

Miles shook his head at his brother. "And what are you doing back over here? I thought Randy was your date tonight, not our flirtatious Winner cousin," he said nodding his head towards the dancing couple. 

"Your girl told me to come and talk to you and keep you company since you're all over here by yourself," Donavon replied. "And I told her to get Vaughn off his ass while I kept you company."

"Vaughn got turned down by all the girls he asked didn't he?" Miles asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Donavon nodded. "All of them turned him down in hopes of being asked by you, me, Dominic Yuy, or any of the Maxwells. But at the moment Chris, Jonathon, and David are all spoken for. You're spoken for and as for me, I don't ask. Period." He looked back towards his cousin again. "Its not like girls don't like him, many do. You should know that everything is based on looks and money at the school we went to. Vaughn might have the money, but most girls seem to want the tall dark haired strong guys like you, Dominic, and the Maxwells. I get by because I look enough like you and the girls are not discriminating. They'll take looks over money if the guy is hot enough. The Maxwell's are lucky, they got money and looks, and well, you and I have our looks."

"And Vaughn is pale haired, barely tops six feet and is on the lean side. I would hate to break it to most girls that our cousin is stronger then he looks," said Miles regarding his cousin over the top of his glass. "He kicked your ass a few times and you're bigger then he is," he smirked. 

"And as I recall, Jonathon and you are the same height and weight, but he can still kick yours," Donavon smirked back. "And I also recall you saying that all three Maxwells pack quite a right hook."

"I did say that. They're all built like Duo. Tall, a little on the lean side, and they're all nothing but muscle. That's why the only Maxwell I can fight and win is with David. Only because I'm a little stronger then him," Miles stated.

"And speaking of Duo, have you seen him?" Donavon asked as he looked around at the crowd around him. 

"No," Miles sighed, shaking his head, "Haven't seen him at all. He's really taking perverse pleasure out of making my life a living hell."

"Miles, he's Duo, the original devil that all four Maxwells were spawned from. Of course he's going to make you squirm. And I am sorry to say bro, you're reputation is the main reason why," Donavon said, patting his brother on the shoulder. 

"So I like girls, so sue me," Miles snapped. "But you're right, my reputation with women doesn't help." He looked at the crowd again and spotted a familiar braid. "Looks like Duo's here," he mumbled. 

Donavon looked over in the same direction as his brother and saw Duo pulling out a chair for Hilde that was close to the dance floor. "Well tonight may be you're lucky night Miles. He's right over there and I know and he knows that you're dying for an answer. But if you don't want him to know how much this is irritating you, keep you're cool and wait. Patiently," he warned. 

"Patiently my ass," Miles muttered under his breath. "I just wish the man would hurry up and make up his mind."

Donavon sighed. "Miles, please understand that she is his only daughter and his baby. He's probably still deliberating on it. So calm down and wait."

Miles snorted and crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah," he said under his breath again. 

******************************************************************************

Duo spotted his daughter on the dance floor with Vaughn. He smiled as she pulled him back for another dance. "Looks like Randy is having fun," he mentioned as he sat down across from Hilde. 

Hilde looked over at the dance floor. "Yes she is. She always liked to be on the dance floor. Our girl is a show off, just like her father," she smirked. 

"Me? A show off? Nah," he replied, but grinned at her as he took a sip of his drink. 

"Maxwell, you've always been a show off," snorted Wufei as he and Sally sat down at the table next to them. 

"Someone had to be. You're too much of a stick in the mud," Duo retorted with a smirk. 

"That's my Wufei for you," Sally sighed, shaking her head. 

"Oh be quiet onna," Wufei grouched as he crossed his arms belligerently. 

Hilde laughed. "Duo behave yourself tonight. But you've always been a show off. You always liked to show off in front of me," she pointed out. 

"Yeah, only because I wanted to impress you," Duo said as he grasped her hand and kissed the back of it. 

"So, have you made up you're mind about Miles dating Randy?" she asked as she stirred the ice in her drink. 

"I haven't been thinking about it that long. Give me a little more time," he said as he leaned back in his chair. 

Wufei noticed the frown on Duo's face. "I think that's the first time I've seen you look apprehensive Maxwell. Serves you right that you had a daughter to realize what made the rest of us so nervous about our daughter's dating," he chuckled. 

Duo glared a little at him. "Of course I don't like it. But I know you like it even less because one of my sons is dating your oldest daughter."

It was Wufei's turn to scowl. "She could do better then troublemaker you got for a second born. All four of your children are crazy just like you."

"Will you two stop it!" exclaimed Hilde with exasperation. "The both of you are acting like a bunch of fifteen year olds all over again!"

"Too bad Maxwell is still there," Wufei mumbled under his breath. 

"You are too you know," Sally said as she smacked him on the arm, causing her husband to glare at her. She sighed and shook her head. "You should know the more you try verbally spar with him, the more he irritates you. You've both been doing this since you were teenagers. Honestly."

"Be quiet onna," Wufei snapped, slinking down in his chair because he knew she was right. 

Duo and Hilde chuckled at Wufei's predicament. Duo looked back at the dance floor and saw that Donavon was slow dancing with Randy. He watched as they passed by. He tilted his head thoughtfully as he saw her turn under the younger Barton's arm. And just beyond the dance floor on the other side was Miles, watching Randy and his brother. He smirked, noting the jealous expression crossing his face. "Looks like he's here," he said to Hilde. 

Hilde turned and looked over in Miles's direction. She could see how the young man was watching Randy as she twirled by in the arms of his younger brother. She turned and looked over at Duo. "Don't you think you should put that poor boy out of his misery?"

"Put whom out of his misery?" asked Quatre as he and Catherine came over and sat down. 

"I was telling Duo to put your nephew out of his misery and let him date Randy," Hilde replied as she looked over at him. 

Quatre swung his eyes towards his nephew who was several months younger then his two oldest. He saw the expression on his face and felt the jealousy coursing through him as he watched his brother dance with Randy. "You should tell him soon Duo. That Barton jealousy is not pretty to watch, especially when it's paired with that temper of theirs."

Duo shrugged. "Come on Quatre, and I suppose you didn't deliberate whether or not to let your daughter date when she got old enough."

"Quatrina never attracted boys like my one nephew or your sons for that matter. And Mira is too young to be dating as of yet. And I'm sure she won't attract boys like Randy does. So I don't have to worry," Quatre said with a slight smile on his face. 

"He's only telling you that because he doesn't want anyone to know how he reacted when Quatrina went out on her first date. He went into a panic attack," Catherine said as she squeezed her husband's hand. 

"I did not!" Quatre protested, his cheeks flaming with color. 

Duo snickered. "She got you there didn't she? So you freaked out, I would've loved to see that."

"Same way you're freaking out about Randy now," Quatre replied hotly as he crossed his arms. "All of us actually started betting on how you'll react when Miles kisses her in front of you for the first time. Heero, Wufei, and Zechs are all betting you'll lose your temper. And Trowa is betting that you won't react at all, and I am betting that'll you'll have an apoplexy."

Duo's mouth fell open in surprise and in indignation. "You're betting on this!" he sputtered. "That's not…"

"It's completely fair Maxwell," smirked Wufei, enjoying his friend's look. "Justice is being rightly served. You're daughter is going to be with a womanizer just like you once were."

Duo glared at Wufei. "Thanks for reminding me Wufei," he said darkly. 

Hilde couldn't help but snicker a little. She felt bad for Duo. She knew how hard this was for him, but yet he deserved some of the ribbing he was getting from the others. He had done it to them when their daughters started dating. "Oh come on Duo. They're only having a little bit of fun," she said softly as she laid her hand on his arm. 

"At my expense," Duo muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes briefly. He had to think about this. This decision was not going to be easy to make. "This might as well be one of the hardest decisions in my entire life."

******************************************************************************

Randy looked over at Miles again as she sat down at the table once again. She smiled at Donavon as he sat down next to her. "So what did you two talk about?" she asked. 

"Nothing of importance really," Donavon replied as he looked back at his brother. 

"Probably talking about you," Vaughn said with a grin as he took the chair on the other side of Randy. 

"Only a little. We were also talking about you and your lack of a date," Donavon answered as he picked a piece of the funnel cake and popped it into his mouth. 

"Not my fault women want guys tall dark and handsome," Vaughn snorted as he raked his hand through his platinum locks. "Not like I would actually be interested in the shallow little flirts we go to school with," he finished as he wrinkled his nose a little. 

"No you just flirt with them," Randy smirked as she looked over her shoulder at him. 

"Hey I flirt with them, but I don't date them. I prefer the girls that go to the public school. At least they're not as shallow and undiscriminating as the girls that go to the private school we go to," Vaughn replied as he tugged on one of her errant curls. "And you flirt with the guys we know, knowing that your dad will never let them date you."

"I know. Since Bobby went around and told all the guys what my dad was capable of, none of them bother asking me out. But it doesn't stop them from trying to get their hands on me during school," Randy said with a laugh.

"And its not like they get anywhere that way either. I think once the guys saw you almost snap Nick Denver's wrist for trying to slip his hand under your skirt during lunch, they avoided the physical contact too," Donavon said with a slight smile. "And the fact that she had one older brother still there to make sure the guys stayed in line."

"I hardly need protection. I take kick boxing and know enough of the martial arts from Jet so I don't need a guy to protect me," Randy snorted. 

"You're still a girl and you will always need protection," David said as he entered the conversation. "And it's a proven fact that most women are weaker then men, no matter how much physical combat experience they have and that definitely includes you baby sister."

Randy stuck her tongue out at her brother. "And what do you have to say about this Kellie?" she asked the older girl. 

"I would have to agree with him. Us being girls are physically weaker, but it doesn't mean that we can't hurt them at all. We have our ways," Kellie said as she tucked a strand of her platinum blond hair behind her ear. 

"See, she agrees with me," David said, kissing Kellie's cheek. 

Randy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but she's a Merquise. I'm a Maxwell and therein lay a wealth of difference between the two. One I'm taller and weigh more then she does. Two she was never a tomboy like I was. Three, I made sure that I was stronger and faster then any of the other daughters, maybe except for Victoria. A guy has to be very good in order to take me down in a fight," she said smugly. 

Kellie rolled her amethyst eyes. "She does have a point there. Your sister is built for the physical combat stuff. I know a little, but not like her. And have you ever been taken down by your own sister?" she asked, looking into David's blue violet eyes.

"I uh…umm…yes," David mumbled, color racing up his cheeks.

Randy snickered at her brother's red face. She looked across the table at Jonathon and Chris, who were also snickering. "I don't see why you two are laughing. I've taken the both of you down as well."

The table erupted in gales of laughter as all three Maxwell brothers slunk down in their chairs a little. 

"That's sad when a guy gets beaten by an onna," Jet observed crossing his arms over the back of his chair at the table next to them. 

"Oh and like you should talk little brother," Leigh smirked. "I've even beaten you once and didn't I hear you complaining the other day that Randy whipped your ass a few days ago?"

Jet's pale gold skin colored to a soft pink. "Drop dead Leigh," he snapped. 

Randy shook her head. "Oh come on Jet, you did challenge me and I did accept. You think I wasn't going to accept your challenge? Your own dad even said I was the one onna who was worthy of taking you on in a fight."

"And coming from our dad that's a compliment," Merin said as she nodded her head. 

Randy looked over her shoulder at Miles and gave him a smile. "Man, I wish dad would make up his mind and say yes to him I feel so bad for having a good time while he looks almost miserable over there."

"Hey don't feel bad. He wants you to have a good time," Donavon said giving her shoulder a slight squeeze. Now come on. The second to last dance is coming up and I intend to dance to it with my beautiful date," he said as he stood. He offered her his arm. "Would mil'lady care for a dance?"

"I would love to," Randy said as she stood and placed her hand on his tanned arm. She walked up to the dance floor with him and lightly grasped his hand with hers. 

Many couples now stood and went to the dance floor. Victoria and Chris, Jonathon and Leigh, David and Kellie to name a few. 

Duo looked over towards the dance floor and saw that many couples had crowded the floor. He noticed Randy dancing with Donavon once again. He glanced over at his wife. "Babe, want to dance?"

Hilde looked away from the conversation she was having with Catherine. She smiled. "Of course," she replied. "Excuse me," she said to Catherine and took Duo's hand and led her out to the dance floor. She looped her arms about his neck as his arms tightened about her waist. She snuggled against his taller and larger form. 

He kissed the top of her hair as he danced with her. He kept his head bent over hers since she barely stood as tall as his shoulders. He could see Miles out of the corner of his eye. 

She saw Miles as well. She leaned her head back and looked up at Duo. "Have you made up your mind yet?" she asked softly as she gazed into his eyes. 

Duo smiled down at her. "Yeah, babe, I've made up my mind," he replied pressing his forehead against hers. "You look lovely tonight, did I tell you that?"

Hilde nodded. "Yes Duo, you told me that earlier before we left the house," she replied. 

"Do you mind if I go over there and tell him once this dance is over?" he asked, kissing her lips lightly. 

"Go right ahead. Just make sure it's the right answer mister or else you'll be reintroduced to the couch," she warned lightly. 

"Don't worry I know what I'm going to say. I like my bed warm with you in it," Duo said as he rubbed his hand up and down her back. He grinned at her before pulling her close once again. He closed his eyes briefly. He felt her move closer to him. He loved having her in his arms. She still felt soft and fragile there and all it made him want to do was protect her. He would do the same for his daughter as much as she tried to tell him she could take care of herself. The song soon ended and he let her go. "I'll be right back for that last dance, okay babe," he said, kissing her again. 

"All right," Hilde said as she watched him walk towards Miles. She sighed and prayed silently for the young Barton. 

"I thought I would find you here," Duo said as he stopped next to Miles. 

Miles looked up and saw Duo staring at him. "I wanted to watch the dancers," he replied, his eyes unconsciously going to Randy and his brother, still standing on the dance floor. 

Duo's eyes followed Miles and landed on Randy. He smirked a little. "You wanted to make sure your brother didn't move in on your territory?"

"No. I understand the friendship between Randy and my brother. I may be jealous for seeing him being the one getting to dance with her and be the one having fun with her, but that's all. Donavon has never had any intentions towards her," Miles said looking back at Duo. 

Duo arched his brows in surprise and a slow smile dawned on his face. "I also take it you've been waiting for my answer too?"

"Yes, I want to know what it is. I know that you wouldn't like some of the answers I put on the questionnaire, but you wanted honest and I gave you honest," Miles replied looking at the grass beneath his feet. His emerald eyes rose and connected with Duo's cobalt ones. "But I want you to know that I would do anything for Randy and I would never hurt her in any way."

Duo grinned and placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Miles I looked over the questions you answered last night and all the work that you did for me over the past week. I must admit that I am impressed. I knew that you thought I was being the biggest bastard on earth, but you still kept on."

Miles couldn't stop the smirk spreading across his own features. "I wouldn't say that. I think you were acting in true God of Death fashion. You were being the devil himself."

Duo smirked again at Miles's candor. "That's what my wife tells me. But you have to understand that the well being and happiness of my daughter is very important to me. She's my little girl even though she's old enough to drive and do all those things teenage girls do, but she still will always be my little girl. Do you understand that?" he asked looking at the nineteen year old. 

"I understand that. I know that you only want the best for her and no matter how old she is, she will still be your little girl. But I am in love with her. I swear that I am because no girl has ever made me feel like she does," Miles said nodding his head. 

Duo shrugged his shoulders. "I'm glad that you do," he said as he looked back at his daughter, laughing at something Donavon said. "I just want to make sure that your intentions are entirely honorable towards Randy. You know that she wears that chastity ring for a reason. And as of now, she is still a minor where the law is concerned and where I'm concerned."

"I understand that completely too. I'm not after her for that reason at all. She may be the most beautiful woman in the world and I will not lay a hand on her. I care about her too much and I respect her for who and what she is," Miles said honestly. 

A pleased smile crossed Duo's face. He could hear the strains of the last song being played. He glanced towards the dance floor where Randy was dancing with Donavon once again. "Go on and ask her to dance Miles. I give you my permission to date Randy, but you know there will be several guidelines you'll have to abide by."

Miles felt relief spread throughout his body. He shook Duo's hand. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down," he said as he stepped up on the dance floor and walked towards his brother. "May I cut in?" he asked, tapping Donavon on the shoulder. 

  
Randy looked up and saw Miles standing there with a huge smile on his face. "My dad said yes?" she asked, a smile beginning to cross her face. 

"He said yes," Miles replied, he looked over at his brother. "May I steal your date for the last dance?" 

Donavon grinned slightly. "Yes you may," he said as he kissed the back of Randy's hand and placed it in his brother's. He walked off the dance floor and stood next to Duo. "You made my brother very happy."

Duo looked at Donavon out of the corner of his eye. "And you were very good about letting my daughter go into your brother's arms."

A startled look crossed Donavon's face. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

Duo turned and looked at the seventeen-year-old next to him. "Exactly how I meant it Donavon. Not many guys let their brother's date the woman that they're in love with."

"That's ridiculous," Donavon sputtered. 

"Deny all you like, but I've always known that you've been in love with Randy. You try very hard to hide it, but I know that you do. What puzzles me is why you never asked her out?" Duo asked as he watched a faint wash of color race up the younger Barton's neck. 

"I…I…I knew that she would never feel the same about me. She needs a hellraiser like my brother. She doesn't need me," Donavon said softly, turning away from Duo's gaze. 

Duo tilted his head thoughtfully. "You might have thought that, but you'd would have found out if you had asked. You'll never know what she might have said. You might just have been what she needed," he said, clapping him on the shoulder, "And now if you excuse me, I promised my wife this last dance." He walked over towards Hilde. "I'm back baby and I mean to give you, your promised dance," he said, bowing slightly. 

Hilde smiled and took his hand. She closed her eyes as he led her around the dance floor. "I love you Duo. You made our daughter very happy," she said glancing over at Randy and Miles, who were staring into each other's eyes. 

"That's all I want for her is to be happy and for you to be happy. I love you Hilde," Duo whispered against her cheek. 

******************************************************************************

Donavon shoved his hands into his pockets. "How could he have known? I told no one," he said to himself.

"I've known," Vaughn said coming to stand beside his cousin. 

"You know because you used your empathic abilities to find that out," Donavon muttered. 

"And I was right wasn't I? You tried to hide your feelings, but even Duo knew. My dad probably knows too. You're practically radiating the emotion like a space heater," Vaughn said quietly. "I'm surprised that Miles never figured it out or your parents."

"I made sure no one noticed," Donavon replied under his breath. "But you're a damned empath like your dad. You always noticed."

Vaughn chuckled. "But you know cousin just be glad that only three people noticed and not all of us. It's not your fault you get tongue tied by a certain woman, namely Randy. And now, she's your brother's girl."

"I know she's my brother's girl. I only want what's best for her and he's what's best for her," Donavon said as he turned and walked off. 

Vaughn shook his head. "Donavon, Donavon, I could have told you at some point that she loved you too. You just never asked," he said, feeling a trifle sorry for his cousin as he watched him leave. 

Miles was in heaven. He looked down into Randy's deep cobalt eyes. "I waited for so long to do this," he said as he turned her around on the dance floor. 

"I know, me too. I couldn't be happier then I am right now," Randy said as she tightened her hand on his. 

He held her tighter to him, burying his face against the softness of her hair. She smelled too good to be legal. "I love you Randy," he said as he leaned away a little. 

"I love you too Miles," she said as she smiled up at him. She cuddled her slender form against his. 

Miles kissed the top of her head. He looked over at Duo and saw that he was dancing with Hilde. They looked like they were in a world of their own by the way that Duo was holding her. "I can love her like that," he said to himself. 

Randy smiled against Miles's navy blue shirt. She could hear his heart beating under her palm. This was where she wanted to be. Always. "Miles?" she asked softly.

"Yes Randy," he replied as the song came to an end. 

"You can finally kiss me in public now," she said as she looked up at him with an impish smile crossing her lips. 

"Whatever the lady asks," Miles replied as he bent his head and claimed her lips in a long sweet kiss.

******************************************************************************

Duo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "They couldn't wait to do that in private," he mumbled. He saw the other's exchanging money on the dance floor. He smirked as he watched Heero, Zechs, Wufei, and Quatre fork it over to Trowa. He snickered. "Looks like I lost them quite a bit of money there."

Hilde laughed softly. "I would say so. Serves them right on betting that you would go bonkers when you saw Miles and Randy kiss."

"And speaking of kisses," Duo he said as he turned Hilde to face him. "I haven't given you a proper kiss all evening," he said as he leaned down and kissed her. 

Hilde smiled against his mouth. "If you say so," she whispered in reply.

******************************************************************************

Miles lifted his lips from Randy's. "I love you Randy. I promise I'll make you happy," he said as he traced her cheek with his finger. 

"I know you will. And I love you too Miles," Randy said as she leaned into him and kissed him again. 

__

Author's Note: Did you really think I would've had Duo say no? Of course not! I love him too much to make him that evil. Well only one more part to go and it's the epilogue. (Sob!) So stay tuned for more! XOXO!


	14. Last Night Together

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids __

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids!

****

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Epilogue

It was his last night home and he was spending it the way that he wanted. His fingers were threaded through hers as they walked along the beach. The moon was half full, but it was still a luminous night with the stars twinkling overhead. Miles looked over at his young girlfriend as she let the water from the bay lap around her ankles. "Having fun?" he asked softly as he looked down at her. 

Randy smiled when she looked up at him. "Yes," she replied as she swirled her toes in the wet sand. "Are you?" 

"Yes because I'm sharing it with you," he answered as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her lightly. His hands slid up and down her back. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the plain white v-neck shirt she wore. He lifted his lips from hers and couldn't help but smile again. He hadn't stopped smiling for the past two weeks. He let her hand go as she dropped her black sandals on the beach and walked out into the water up to her knees. She was wearing a khaki cargo skirt that was several inches above her knees. 

She looked over her shoulder at him. She took in the sight of him. He was wearing navy cargo shorts with a deep yellow button down shirt. The slight breeze tousled his russet hair. "Going to come in?" she asked as she leaned down a little and splashed her fingers through the tepid water. She flicked them off in his direction. 

"Hey!" Miles said as she splashed him a little. He went out into the water where she was standing and flicked some water back. 

"Two can play this game," Randy challenged as she swept her hand through the water in his direction. She managed to soak his shorts on the one side. 

He smirked as he grabbed her around the waist and carried her out into the water. He went out as high as his knees. "Keep that up baby, I'll drop you," he said.   


"You wouldn't dare," she said as she squirmed in his arms, "I'm wearing white."

Miles shrugged. "Don't think that'll stop me," he said smirking again as he removed his one arm from under her legs. 

"Miles!" Randy shrieked as her arms locked about his neck. The hem of her skirt brushed the water before he caught her once again. 

"But I wouldn't," he said as he smiled down at her. He could see the promise of retribution in her eyes. He carried her back to where the water was shallow before he put her down again. "See I didn't really drop you," he said cheekily. 

"But I never said I wouldn't," she said as she shoved him, catching him off balance. He fell back into the water. She burst into laughter. 

Miles looked at the water as it dripped off the tip of his nose. He looked up at her. "Oh you're going to get in now," he said as he got up. 

Randy shrieked again and started running, but he was as quick as her brothers and caught her easily. She felt his wet shirt soak through hers and try as she might, she couldn't wriggle out of his embrace. "Let go," she laughed as she tried pushing his arm that had snaked about her waist. 

"Nope," he chuckled as she struggled. "Serves you right for pushing me into the water. Your clothes should get a little soaked for what you did." 

She twisted herself this way and that so she ended up facing him. Her struggles however caused them both to lose their balance and fall onto the sand. She landed on top of him. She giggled. "So now that I'm on top, I guess that means I'm winning," she teased. 

Miles rolled his eyes at her. "You're an imp, you know that," he said. "But a very beautiful imp." He reached up and smoothed a lock of her silky hair away from her face. "I'm glad that I get to spend my last night at home before I go back to school with the girl that I love," he said softly as he gazed into her cobalt eyes. 

Randy leaned up and pressed a brief kiss on his lips. "I am too. I'm going to miss you while you're at school with my brother." She frowned a little. "And what about the female population? Are they going to lament that you're no longer on the market?"

"Maybe, but they can lament all they want. I have a wonderful girlfriend, why would I need to look at other women? You're a handful as it is," he commented. He noticed a wry smile touch her lips. 

"That's what my dad told me. He always said I was a handful. Apparently I drove him more crazy then my brothers," she said as she snuggled against his chest, unmindful now that his wet shirt was making her shirt wet. 

"That I would believe. And the reason for that would be, you're his only daughter, who he encouraged to be as much of a hellion as her brothers. You're more like him then your brothers come to think of it," Miles mused. "You have his personality, his temper, that smirk of yours, and his eyes. But you look like your mother and from my standpoint, she is still a very beautiful woman, which makes you absolutely gorgeous."

"You're certainly throwing a lot of compliments my way tonight," Randy said, smirking a little. "Any particular reason?"

"Well I want to get in as many compliments as possible because I won't be here to tell you how great you look and how much I love you," he said honestly. 

"You're so sweet," she said as she leaned up and kissed him again. 

Miles slipped his arms about her waist and held her tight as he took control of the kiss. He traced her lower lip with his tongue before her lips parted, letting his tongue slip inside and stroke hers. She tasted sweet like honey. He strummed her spine with his fingers.

Randy loved his kisses. They had a drugging effect on her. Her fingers curled in the wet fabric of his shirt. She could feel his heart pounding against hers. 

He didn't even notice that the water was lapping around his ankles. He was too caught up in her. She was innocence seasoned with sensuality. But she was a virgin and she was to stay that way until she was married. He knew that she wore the ring to prove it. And everywhere her body was touching him now was making his body go crazy. He tore his lips away from hers. "Randy, we have to stop," he said, almost short of breath. 

She tilted her head to one side and regarded him knowingly. "I understand," she said as she pushed herself up and away from him. She sighed inwardly, knowing that he could take so much. Her age and her chastity ring was what made him stop. Those two things and her father. But she promised she wouldn't and she didn't break her promises. She stood brushing the caked sand from her legs. She held her hand out to him and helped him stand. "You look like a mess," she snickered.

The corners of his mouth quirked up a little. "And you're the one responsible for that," Miles said as he brushed the sand off of him. He shook his head, sending the grain like particles to the ground. "And the front of your shirt is wet too," he said, smirking. 

Randy arched a brow, but she didn't blush. "Oh so you noticed," she drawled, pulling the white shirt away from her skin. The lacy edging of her bra was visible through the white cotton. 

He flushed a little, but then grinned at her roguishly. "Did you want me to notice?"

"Maybe," she replied flirtatiously as she picked up her sandals and started walking away. 

Miles shook his head and raced after her, pulling her into his arms again and kissing her. His fingers grasped her hips gently as he pulled her higher and tighter against him. 

Randy locked her arms around his neck as his tongue explored her mouth. She could feel his fingers inching lower on her hips. She could feel intense heat radiating off of him through his wet clothes. 

His fingers inched lower until they reached the hem of her skirt. He could feel the soft smooth skin of her thighs as she arched herself against him, molding herself to the contours of his body. Of their own accord, his fingers slipped under the hem of her skirt, but with a whimper from her, he realized what he was doing and yanked his hands away and took a step away from her. He was breathing rapidly and his heart was thundering in his ears. "I think it's time I took you home," he said as he started walking. 

She followed behind him, her legs quaking a little. She knew he was turned on. There was no mistaking what she felt against her lower abdomen. She sighed a little as he held the door open for her. She slid into the seat and glanced over at him as he got in the other side. 

Miles could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't look at her. He couldn't and not want to kiss her and touch her all over. Each touch and each kiss made it hard for him to restrain himself. But Duo stood in the back of his mind, glaringly. And since Duo had let him date Randy, he hadn't done anything that would make him change his mind. He drove through the silent streets until he drove down the curving driveway to her home. He stopped the car and went around to the other side. He grasped her hand and helped her out. Like he had been taught, he walked her to the door while she opened it. He followed her into the kitchen. He could hear the sounds of the television in the family room. He checked his watch. He had her home by eleven, just like Duo wanted. "Well, I guess I should say good night now," he said softly to her. 

Randy turned and looked up at his face. "Do you have to?" she asked. 

"Yeah, I have to. I have to get some sleep before my flight tomorrow at eight in the morning," he replied on a sigh. 

"I want to see you off," she said impulsively. 

Miles shook his head. "No, I want you to stay home. I much rather remember what you look like right now. I want to see you smiling. I don't want to see you upset. Besides I might not leave if you do come."

"All right," Randy agreed. She threw her arms about his neck. "I love you Miles."

"I love you too Randy," he said as he hugged her as tight as he could. "I promise I'll try to call, write, e-mail, anything like that."

"I promise too," she said against the cloth of his shirt. 

Miles closed his eyes briefly as he pulled away and pressed a loving kiss on her forehead. "If I kiss you on the lips I won't leave." He looked deep into her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too," Randy said as she tightened her grip on his hands. 

He pulled away from her reluctantly and walked towards the kitchen door. He smiled at her over his shoulder. "I'll hopefully see you soon baby," he said softly as he opened the door and walked out into the night. 

"Good bye Miles," Randy whispered as she sniffled a little. She took a deep breath as she kept her eyes on his as he closed the door. She stood there silently. She could hear the clock ticking on the wall behind her. She sighed and went up the stairs to her room. She knew she was going to miss him immensely. "I hope vacation gets here soon," she said to herself as she started getting ready for bed. 

******************************************************************************

Duo heard the door close and Randy go up the stairs. He let out a sigh of his own. 

"That was very good Duo," Hilde said as she looked up from her pillow that she had rested her head on as he rubbed her feet. "You managed not to get up and spy on them."

He grinned sheepishly. "I know. But I'm only a dad who worries about his daughter, nothing more, nothing less."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, Miles even leaves tomorrow with Jonathon. She won't really be seeing him until their fall holiday in late October."

"I know that too. But the time will fly, believe me. Our kids are growing up fast babe," Duo said as he lifted her feet from his lap. "All three of our sons are in college and Randy's a junior at Saint Augustines."

"It seems like only yesterday that they were all little running around like little hellions," Hilde sighed as she stood up. She was already dressed for bed in a pair of loose fitting sweatpants and a slim strapped black tank top. "And to make matters worse, they still run around like little hellions, only bigger."

Her comment made him chuckle. "Well didn't you say I was still one?"

"Yes, You're definitely still a hellion Duo," Hilde replied as she grinned at him. 

"Would you have me any other way," Duo answered as he switched off the lights and the television in the family room. He followed his wife into the kitchen. 

"No, I wouldn't have you any other way," she said over her shoulder as she made sure the door was locked. 

He smirked at her and picked her up in his arms. "I'm glad you think so," he said as he started up the back stairs. He walked her down the hall to their room. He noticed Hilde's obvious yawn. "Tired baby?"

"A little," Hilde admitted. 

Duo smiled slightly and laid her down on the bed before stripping off his pants until he was left only in his boxers and muscle shirt. He crawled into bed next to her before pulling her close to him. He felt her cuddle up to him. "Love you Hilde," he said faintly. 

"Love you too Duo," she said sleepily as she slid her arm about his waist. She was asleep almost instantly. 

"Lights out," he called softly and the lights automatically went out. He put his arm around her, stroking her back lightly. He thought about Randy. His daughter was the happiest he had seen her in a while. He knew it was because of Miles. And it made him feel better that she was happy, but there was one thing that he still kept in the back of his mind. Donavon. Miles's little brother was in love with Randy as well. It was true that he would have preferred him over Miles, but that wasn't to be. _"But changes are always possible." _ With that thought, he gradually fell asleep as well. 

The next morning came fast. Light streamed in through Randy's bedroom windows, casting muted stripes across the bed though the sheer curtains. A slight breeze ruffled them, bringing in the late summer air. He regarded her silently as he climbed through the window. He wanted to see her one last time. Miles smiled at the way her silky raven hair tumbled over the white pillow and the way that her one hand was curled up in a loose fist. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful. He heard her slight whimper as she rolled over, burrowing her face in her pillow as she lay on her stomach. He grinned and went over to the bed, looking down at his sleeping angel. "I love you Randy," he whispered as he laid a bouquet of sterling silver and white roses on the bedside table. And with one last look at her, he climbed out the window again. He looked over his shoulder once again at her. "Be good Randy. I'll miss you," he said and hurriedly left the premises.

Randy woke up slowly, stretching her arms over her head. She grasped the rails of her wrought iron headboard and arched her back, cracking it. She stared up at the ceiling and then lifted her arm up and looked at her watch. "Nine am. Miles already left," she sighed as she started to close her eyes again, but she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She looked at her bedside table and saw the two dozen roses tied with a silver ribbon. She sat up and grasped the bouquet. She sniffed the roses, inhaling their sweet scent. She saw a card dangling from the silver ribbon. She laid the roses down on the blue gray linen comforter and untied it. She opened the gilt edged card. She felt her heart swell with love. 

__

Randy-

I'll miss you while I'm gone and know that I will be thinking about you constantly. I know you'll be thinking of me too. I love you always. 

With love,

Miles

Randy sniffled a bit, but she smiled. "What a guy," she sighed happily as she fell back against the pillows once again. She closed her eyes. "I've just fallen in love all over again. He's definitely going to be the one."

__

Author's Note: It's the end? I know it's true, but sadly enough it is. But don't despair, there will definitely be a sequel to this. And who knows what can happen in a sequel! XOXOX! 


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